Syllable Exchange Ratios In Translations

[NaiGreg]

When translating Thai to English there is sometimes a wide difference in the number of syllables uttered to produce a certain meaning.

Consider the word แวะ - wae (short-high)

For such a tiny utterance it relates to a formidable string of syllables in the English - "Stop off along the way"

This produces a syllable exchange ratio of 1:6

Are there any others with a such a large ratio?

[Rikker]

Certainly there are, but it goes both ways. How would you concisely (and precisely) convey the verb "gentrify" in Thai? I don't know. To name a thoroughly random example.

[RickBradford]

Or even ไหว้ (you're not allowed to used the Anglicised word )

[Briggsy]

Or the old favourite เกร่งใจ

[Briggsy]

In addition แวะ is often combined with other verbs to make แวะไปหา to give us the British English "call round".

The discussion could be extended by measuring the syllables spoken per second. I am sure stress-based English would have a far higher score than tonal Thai. Southern Thai would come out fairly high though.

[Meridian007]

I think this tends to happen when there is no direct translation, so the translation becomes a description of what is a single word in the other language.This is why every language has borrowed words, (or in this case, transliterations), to make things more efficient.

Edited January 28, 2010 by Meridian007

[nakachalet]

with such abundancy of language experts in thailand....

it is no wonder that most thai students still could speak english....

the problem is just that.... most farangs, especially tourists, just could not quite comprehend what most thai students as well as their thai english teachers are trying to convey....