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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

retour en équerre

English translation:

right-angled leg

Added to glossary by Barbara Cochran, MFA
Mar 16, 2008 13:33
16 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

retour en équerre

French to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature Description Of The Piazzetta
Description of 18th century painter Canaletto's favorite walk.

"Durant les longues haltes de Canaletto aux alentours de Saint-Marc, sa promenade favorite fut encore la Piazzetta, ce **retour en équerre** que la grande place forme devant la basilique.

Mille Mercis!

femme
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 right-angled leg/limb
4 +1 extension at right-angles
4 the little square around the corner of the Basilica
3 two faces at right angle
3 -1 orthogon
Change log

Mar 17, 2008 10:39: Barbara Cochran, MFA Created KOG entry

Discussion

MatthewLaSon Mar 19, 2008:
fut = ended up (s'est avérée) encore = still ....question closed! Sorry everyone: I just didn't want to mislead future readers of this question since I was the started this discussion before the question was closed.
MatthewLaSon Mar 18, 2008:
I think I'm wrong...but it doesn't matter, but I want everyone who comes to this question to think that the meaning is: His favorite walk still ended up being the Piazzetta...". I thought about it for a while and now believe that's indeed the meaning.
MatthewLaSon Mar 18, 2008:
Tony, imho, I now think it means "again." To me, "fut" is in the passé simple to mean "devenir". That's the only way you could justify the passé simple (a change of state). The sentence means: "Once again, his favorite walk was la Piazzetta...."
Tony M Mar 17, 2008:
That's exactly the way I see it too, Alex.
Bourth (X) Mar 17, 2008:
For me, at first sight, "encore" here is merely an intensifier, a bit like as in "Il est ENCORE plus grand que je ne pensais" - "the walk he REALLY enjoyed most" (where "really/encore" actually adds little).
Tony M Mar 16, 2008:
Literary usage normally employs the 'passé simple'; I don't think the word 'encore' has the value of 'still' in this particular construction (though can't be sure without seeing the whole context)
MatthewLaSon Mar 16, 2008:
I would have thought that "fut encore" should be "était encore". It's just describing what his favorite walk still was, no? Imperfect tense?

Proposed translations

+1
1 hr
Selected

right-angled leg/limb

If St Mark's Square is the bit between the basilica and the canal, then the Piazzetta is the bit "inland", parallel to the canal, that runs off to the left of the square as you stand with the canal behind you.

GoogleEarth will show you.
Peer comment(s):
agree cjohnstone
1 hr
neutral Tony M : I think it's actually the other way round, Alex: St Mark's Square is the big bit, and the Piazzetta is the bit that extends the Square southwards down to the lagoon, past the Campanile and Doge's Palace
1 hr
I was in some doubt on that. Some Web sources suggested it was as I phrased it, but I'm not necess. convinced. Though in my mind the square at the side (?) of the basilica, that runs down to the canal, is the "main" square. Haven't been to V. since 1982
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Merci!"
3 hrs

two faces at right angle

I'm not sure about my translation. I will give you the definition I found, you can probably come up with something better."Retour en équerre− Rare. [En parlant d'un bâtiment] En retour d'équerre, revenant en équerre. Qui a deux faces formant un angle droit. Un grand corps de logis et deux ailes revenant en équerre, de façon à former une cour d'honneur (Gautier, Fracasse, 1863, p. 88). Là, le bâtiment faisait un retour d'équerre et l'on débouchait dans une longue galerie (Gautier, Fracasse, 1863 p. 380)."

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Note added at 3 hrs (2008-03-16 16:57:29 GMT)
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If you go on the link, you have to type "équerre", then choose "trésor", then for some reason you have to choose the term "équerre".
Reference:

http://www.lexilogos.com/francais_langue_dictionnaires.htm

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-1
3 hrs

orthogon

Lit.

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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-03-16 17:51:00 GMT)
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I've never seen it used. Ever. Although it dates back to 16th century. Some suggestion it may be vertical and not horizontal? Thoughts?
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : Wouldn't make any sense at all in the given context / No, but it's just not what they're talking about; have you actually been there to see it?
6 mins
Why's that Tony, no right angles?
neutral giltal (X) : what about orthogonal ?
7 mins
Yes. I think a noun is being requested
Something went wrong...
5 hrs

the little square around the corner of the Basilica

offshoot of Piazza San Marco
Reference:

http://www.igougo.com/attractions-reviews-b61681-Venice-Piazza_San_Marco.html

Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : Not strictly accurate, Mary. It isn't really 'round the corner of the basilica', and it's a pretty BIG square, actually!
38 mins
it's little in comparison to the Piazza,that's why it ends with 'etta' (diminutive.Having the same name,one is larger than the other,so Piazza and Piazzetta.
Something went wrong...
+1
3 hrs

extension at right-angles

or 'short leg of the L-shaped...'

This Wiki article tells you exactly which part it is; the short leg of the L-shaped St Mark's Square, extending southwards to the lagoon, between the Campanile and the Doge's Palace

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Note added at 9 hrs (2008-03-16 22:33:54 GMT)
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Alex, the basilica really and truly opens onto the main piazza; it is more the Doges' Palace that opens literally onto the Piazzetta — if you regard this as ONLY the 'add-on' bit

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Note added at 9 hrs (2008-03-16 22:35:48 GMT)
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See the images in the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark's_Square
Peer comment(s):
agree Bourth (X) : Or even "the (open) square that leads to the lagoon"/Above all (?) it's the one opposite the entrance to the basilica, if I remember right (?)
4 hrs
Thanks, Alex! Yes, that would work too. A quick look on Google maps show that the main piazza is indeed the bigger (slightly)
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