Danish help

[Winston]

Originally posted by Combat Ingrid
When we were kids we used to refer to burping as "speaking French"

As in, "*Burp* - oh, pardon my French"? Or more generally?

[Victor Galis]

One final question and bump, what does Snedelig mean?

[Gangerolf]

I don't think anyone here really knows

[Gangerolf]

but as I see it after reading this poetry http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=snedelig
, it's either

1) snedig (smart, cunning) + an extra syllable for the melody

or

2) lightly (as in not heavy. dancing lightly..)

[Winston]

The word snedelig is not in use in contemporary language, of that we're certain.

For it to mean "smart/cunning" makes no sense, neither in the song we have before us, nor in any of the other handful of texts that are returned by a Google search.

I consulted a couple of dictionaries (Danish ones), and we have the word sned, which today means askew. It is derived from the old verb snide, to cut, its present meaning being something that is cut off relative to the vertical.

Snedig (sly/cunning) has the same root as sned, this time in the obsolete meaning of a ruse, a trick, deriving from "something that is cut off in a dexterous, deft, agile, clever way". But as was mentioned, snedig today means sly/cunning exclusively.

In conclusion,

1) snedelig is not in use as a word today

2) my original suggestion of "tenderly" has no basis other than a sense that it might fit in with the context

3) for it to translate to snedig (sly, cunning) would make no sense contextually

4) but it might make sense if one takes the root, or listed origin, of the word snedig into consideration. Then we could end up with a tentative translation of dansede så snedelig into: "Danced so deftly, agilely, swiftly - even briskly".

It's all guessing, I'm afraid. But I'd say snedelig here means swiftly.

[BlackCat]

I cheated today by looking in "Ordbog over det danske Sprog" vol 20 at work, and there it was. Gangerolf's first guess is correct because it means listig or snedig (sly/scheming/cunning). Though, the extra l is correct, but a bit altmodish.

It could fit the context in the way : "old love disguised reveals himself on the dance floor - lady turns blue"

[Winston]

Ah, it is settled then.

However, It takes two people to dance, and I'd say it's certainly bad form to use the adjective slyly or cunningly to describe the situation we have here. Though they were both being cunning in their own right at the time of the dance, to describe their manner of dancing as such is just.. awkward.

But other passages in the lyrics are a bit fishy when viewed from across the gulf of the centuries, so I guess it doesn't look too improbable if we take it to mean slyly or cunningly.

Still, if I'd been the bard behind this, you could bet your finest goose feather pen I'd have put "swiftly".

[Victor Galis]

Hehe, this reminds me of this time in German class when we were going over a list of words, and our German teacher said to us: No one uses that one anymore, you don't have to know what it means. I found that word in a newspaper, but apparently the Frankfurter Allgemeine is no one to him

[Winston]

Figuring out the proper meaning of obsolete terms can be a pain, but I find it very interesting, fun even, provided your whole career doesn't hinge on the outcome.

BlackCat's reference, Ordbog over det danske Sprog (Dictionary of the Danish language), is a magnificent, comprehensive and highly authoritative source to have at hand, and will instantly end the "fun" in 998 out of a thousand cases, I think most people would agree.

[Victor Galis]

Well the problem with guessing is how horribly, horribly wrong it can go in some cases

[Winston]

Yes, but it is somewhat amended if you try to make qualified guesses rather than wild ones.

In this case, slyly/cunningly seemed to me a wild guess, but as it turned out, it was correct. It still doesn't sit right though, but as I said, the explanation for that is most likely bad poetic form, combined with the lyrics source being removed by several centuries.

Compare to the second verse, where inexplicably the final line is told in the first person, whereas the entire rest of the text is in the third person or narrative.

There are other examples also of the lyrics falling somewhat short of being entirely.. polished.

[Victor Galis]

It's also entirely possible that the word meant something else in addition to that a few centuries ago.

[Winston]

Absolutely, yes. That's what I was trying to deduce from its root origin when I came up with synonyms like deftly, agilely, swiftly.

I would maintain that those are valid candidates for a logical translation of snedelig, on the basis that I gave before - though I'm rather discouraged by the fact that they apparently weren't mentioned in the entry for the term in Ordbog over det danske Sprog, the source that BlackCat gave - a source which should of course be considered the ultimate authority in these matters.

[Provost Harrison]

Ah yes, Winston, our favourite mun-Dane

[Winston]

You know, I'm afraid this isn't really for you, Provost Harrison.

Go start a thread on the comedy value of uncontrollable flatulence or something, hm?