Nov 4, 2022 09:36
1 yr ago
26 viewers *
Swedish term
blyg / skygg
Non-PRO
Not for points
Swedish to English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
I'm well aware of the various options that the semantic field in question has to offer.
Let's face it though. Regardless of the degree to which my mastery of English can be substantiated, I'm not a native.
So, just out of curiosity, here's my purely theoretical question for you:
Which two adjectives would be your best pick to render the rather subtle difference between blyg and skygg?
Let's face it though. Regardless of the degree to which my mastery of English can be substantiated, I'm not a native.
So, just out of curiosity, here's my purely theoretical question for you:
Which two adjectives would be your best pick to render the rather subtle difference between blyg and skygg?
Proposed translations
(English)
3 +2 | blyg = shy, reserved, bashful skygg = timid, unconfident, self-effacing | Gustaf Eriksson |
3 +1 | Blyg = shy, skygg = timid | Andrew Zink |
Change log
Nov 4, 2022 10:51: m_a_a_ changed "Language pair" from "English to Swedish" to "Swedish to English"
Proposed translations
+2
41 mins
Selected
blyg = shy, reserved, bashful skygg = timid, unconfident, self-effacing
Svår fråga! Finns ju flera ord som ligger nära varandra i betydelse, men med subtila
skillnader (har bott i Storbritannien i drygt 17 år men detta var klurigt!)
skillnader (har bott i Storbritannien i drygt 17 år men detta var klurigt!)
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Joakim Braun
: Let's add that only humans are "blyg", while both humans and animals are "skygg".
8 mins
|
agree |
Michele Fauble
6 hrs
|
neutral |
Adrian MM.
: an inconclusive scattergun answer and unconfident is - as a lazy throwaway label on English school reports - *diffident*.
2 days 21 hrs
|
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+1
8 hrs
Blyg = shy, skygg = timid
I'll chime in here with a non-expert opinion. I'd say that the etymology of these two words is also very important to consider in the discussion. There is, of course, a long list of English adjectives that could be used to translate these words based on context, not to mention the subtle nuances and differences between them (which can also get a bit tricky given that nuance varies between dialects, regions, individual speakers, etc.).
However, (in my opinion) a very important aspect to consider is where the words derive from. In English, the two most obvious translations for "blyg" and "skygg" are "shy" and "timid". The words are very close, but the biggest differentiator is that "timid" derives from Latin (timidus) and "shy" derives from some old German root (like Old English, scēoh or German "scheuen").
In a very crude sense, timid is simply the Latin version and shy is the Germanic version of the same concept.
I suspect the same could be said for blyg and skygg. Certainly, the two words have subtle differences, but I suspect "skygg" shares the same etymological history as English's "shy" and German's "scheuen" (BTW English and German are classified as West Germanic languages), whereas "blyg" appears to have its roots in Old Norse (i.e. North Germanic).
However, (in my opinion) a very important aspect to consider is where the words derive from. In English, the two most obvious translations for "blyg" and "skygg" are "shy" and "timid". The words are very close, but the biggest differentiator is that "timid" derives from Latin (timidus) and "shy" derives from some old German root (like Old English, scēoh or German "scheuen").
In a very crude sense, timid is simply the Latin version and shy is the Germanic version of the same concept.
I suspect the same could be said for blyg and skygg. Certainly, the two words have subtle differences, but I suspect "skygg" shares the same etymological history as English's "shy" and German's "scheuen" (BTW English and German are classified as West Germanic languages), whereas "blyg" appears to have its roots in Old Norse (i.e. North Germanic).
Discussion