01-20-2024, 02:29 PM | #1 |
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Informal English usage and possible translation issues
For better or worse, for some reason, it has become acceptable to informally address or refer to a mixed gender group as "guys" in at least some circles in at least some contexts.
Are there any languages with a word with the same usage, and translation mechanisms (dictionary, software, other) that would map that word to "men"? I'm assuming there many translation mechanism language combinations which map an inherently male informal reference to "men", but that is not in the scope of this thread. |
01-20-2024, 03:02 PM | #2 |
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Just from curiosity, I tried with Google Translate and a few Estonian words, but I never got "men" as a result. I got either "guys" or "people" or "humans". Unless I used the direct equivalent of the word "men", meaning adult male humans.
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01-20-2024, 03:06 PM | #3 | |
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Quote:
Regional variations In England it's rude to refer to adult women as girls, even if they are young. In Ireland it can be regard as merely friendly, hence 'Fine girl you are'. Not even young or single women, but depends on context. A group of men might be the lads or the boys; there was never the usage of calling an adult servant / slave / serf 'boy' like in Southern USA States. A woman going out with group of young women in the evening (Ireland), might refer to 'the girls' or curiously 'the lads', but not Lassies, nor the Women, and rarely the Ladies (except golfers?). It grates to read a post on a form starting 'Men,' and I never saw that till recently, and only by one person. There are many terms in England used abusively which are not abusive here in Ireland. We have our own local abuse terms here such as Jackeen, Culchie, Tinker, Traveller, Shinner (SF party supporter), Prod, Taig, Fenian, etc. Last edited by Quoth; 01-20-2024 at 03:14 PM. |
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01-20-2024, 03:43 PM | #4 | |
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Quote:
There's no justification for the use of it. There's nothing at all wrong with addressing a group of people, whether single or mixed gender, as "you", and avoiding the issue altogether. |
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01-20-2024, 03:50 PM | #5 |
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When my daughter was home visiting from college a few years ago, she started addressing my wife and I as "you all".
She had never used that term before she went away to college so I asked about it. At the time, she was the captain of the college swim team (all women) and she explained that when she spoke to the team, she had found that "guys", "girls" and "women" all resulted in pushback from one or more team members. "You-all" offended no one, apparently. |
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01-20-2024, 04:24 PM | #6 | |
the rook, bossing Never.
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Re: Guys
Quote:
And in parts of Ireland you (or ye) is singular youse (or you) is plural (I suppose like USA Y'all) Really 16th C. |
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01-20-2024, 04:38 PM | #7 |
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In some languages (Estonian, Russian, presumably others) the singular you and the plural you are two different words also. It's considered polite to use the plural you with strangers, although this custom is starting to disappear with younger generations.
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01-20-2024, 04:42 PM | #8 |
the rook, bossing Never.
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Perhaps also German and French?
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01-20-2024, 04:47 PM | #9 |
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01-20-2024, 06:13 PM | #10 |
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My father was in the military, and I grew up all over the place. My mother was from Northwestern Illinois, and we used to visit whenever possible. I would hang out with my cousins and their friends. The groups were usually a mixture of boys and girls. I thought it was strange that they would always use the term guys when referring to everyone in the group.
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01-20-2024, 07:08 PM | #11 | |
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Quote:
So I guess the poster using "men" to address is not Estonian. |
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01-20-2024, 07:25 PM | #12 |
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In the SE USA emphatically calling someone well into adulthood and beyond "boy" was by no means limited to targeting people in a subservient position, much less actual slaves. It was common 50 years ago and I doubt that it has completely died out, especially in one on one encounters with no witnesses.
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01-20-2024, 07:32 PM | #13 | |
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It is interesting that your daughter had to cast around until hitting something that worked. |
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01-20-2024, 07:36 PM | #14 | |
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I do think that there are a lot of regional usages that are strange and confusing to people from elsewhere. |
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01-20-2024, 07:36 PM | #15 | |
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Quote:
(I think the coach, who was of a much earlier generation, continued to address the team as "ladies") |
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