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Fangstab
Wendehammer
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Errant question
Oct 24, 2007 09:41
17 yrs ago
7 viewers *
German term

Personalia

German to English Bus/Financial Human Resources
"Personalia" - heading a section (e.g. in a company magazine) all about people who've left, people who've joined, people who got awards etc. My client believes this is also an acceptable in an English context, but I am not so sure.
I'd be grateful for any confirmation (or alternative suggestions!)
TIA
Karin
Proposed translations (English)
3 +2 People
3 +1 staff news
3 personnel
3 OUR PEOPLE
3 People / personnel / The team
Change log

Oct 24, 2007 10:05: Steffen Walter changed "Field" from "Other" to "Bus/Financial"

Discussion

Karin Walker (X) (asker) Oct 26, 2007:
"Errant question" I think I was the errant one here (although I have no idea what "errant question" means) - and it should have been a not for points question, since you were all right and I can't pick my favourite. Thanks to you all for your input.
Steffen Walter Oct 24, 2007:
It does make a difference where the term is used - if it's in the academic field, then it seems appropriate. (I'd thought you were dealing with a corporate document.)
Karin Walker (X) (asker) Oct 24, 2007:
Well... ... I guess it is now, but I had no idea this was an academic term so never thought to mention it. Now we all now.
Steffen Walter Oct 24, 2007:
Aha - this piece of info is of course essential.
Karin Walker (X) (asker) Oct 24, 2007:
Actually they're appropriate... ...my client is a German university department that is putting out a kind of activity report which also covers staff-related matters. The report of course has a Personalia section that covers all sorts of guff. I suppose then she can go ahead and use it.
Steffen Walter Oct 24, 2007:
... but is trying to prove his point by quoting examples that seem to be inappropriate (at least if your text is about corporate news/magazines).
Steffen Walter Oct 24, 2007:
Due to the relative infrequency of use, this amounts to flogging a dead horse indeed. I believe that the use of "personalia" in this sense is largely confined to the academic world. Sad if the client is not willing to trust your (native) expertise...
Karin Walker (X) (asker) Oct 24, 2007:
Links Sorry to be flogging what might be a dead horse, but my client seems to really want "Personalia" and has sent me these two links, both from reputable (it seems) British academic websites:
http://www.crees.bham.ac.uk/research/AnnRep2005-6/personalia...
http://www.le.ac.uk/press/annualreport/

I guess it can be used, then.
Karin Walker (X) (asker) Oct 24, 2007:
Yes, sorry... Just saw I left out a bit - she thinks it is acceptable in English.
Steffen Walter Oct 24, 2007:
Question just for clarification: Does your client believe that "personalia" can be used in English, too?

Proposed translations

24 mins

personnel

Just an idea...
because, personalia in Engl. in my understanding means
a) personal allusions or references
b) personal belongings or affairs.
Something went wrong...
+2
26 mins

People

... would cover it all - you've said it yourself :-)

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Note added at 27 mins (2007-10-24 10:08:07 GMT)
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I strongly believe that "personalia" cannot be used in the English version.
Peer comment(s):
agree Armorel Young : yes, or perhaps "news of people" - and I agree with your comment on personalia. Things like "staff news" may be too tight if the section includes news (and e.g. deaths) of people who have already left; "our people" is too patronising/possessive
12 mins
Yes, or "People news", but I'd prefer "People" as a headline.
neutral Francis Lee (X) : See my links below re. 'use of "personalia" in this sense is largely confined to the academic world' - not true. That said, it wouldn't be my preferred term either. ;-)/ Ain't it weird how you get Agrees although I provided a ref.? (nicht deine Schuld!)
2 hrs
Many of the hits are universities (ac.uk) or govt. agencies (gov.uk).
agree Kcda : I support you fully. It can be used as "people" to make the text proper English. Nevertheless it is possibly a specific term and has maybe found acceptance, one might have to use it. Another aspect: The customer/client is the king! :)
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
30 mins

OUR PEOPLE

oder auch
our staff
about us
about our people
Peer comment(s):
neutral Steffen Walter : "About us" passt m. E. nicht, da damit auch eine allgemeine, nicht unbedingt mitarbeiterbezogene Rubrik bezeichnet werden kann (im Sinne von "Über unser Unternehmen").
21 mins
Something went wrong...
+1
31 mins

staff news

I'm not a native speaker of English but have lived there for a long time, andt my gut feeling tells me that the word isn't really used in this context. I'd suggest something like staff news.
Reference:

http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/AboutUs/News/Staff%20News/Staff%20News.aspx

Peer comment(s):
agree Francis Lee (X) : This occurred to me during my tea-break, and as if by magic ...
53 mins
Something went wrong...
30 mins

People / personnel / The team

Is your client an English native-speaker? Somehow I doubt it.
Your description is very succinct. Although "personnel" wouldn't be wrong, I reckon we'd call this just "People" or "The/Our team".

http://www.jazzclubtonne.de/?inhalt=personalia

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Note added at 32 mins (2007-10-24 10:13:43 GMT)
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Look what happens when you begin to write a note to the Asker, but go back and instead enter an answer. How time flies!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-10-24 11:04:46 GMT)
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But if the stress is on about people who've left/joined, then perhaps "Personnel/staff news"

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-10-24 11:57:05 GMT)
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And I see that Sandra consulted the same dictionary as I did re. "personalia" - which IMO doesn't apply here.

BUT then I found a reference with the same context as your translation:

http://www.mbherald.com/42/04/personalia.en.html

It lists "People contents" and within this "Personalia"

Then again, it IS from Canada ...
;-)

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-10-24 12:13:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And if you Google personalia + staff + news, you do get a lot of relevant links ending in the word "personalia"

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-10-24 12:31:32 GMT)
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"I guess it can be used, then."
Apparently yes - as I indicated above ... The term is used by all kinds of companies/institutions.

But I'd still go for e.g. "People/Staff/Personnel news"
Peer comment(s):
neutral Steffen Walter : Most of the .uk hits for "personalia" seem to be universities/govt. institutions, so I doubt that it should be used in a corporate magazine./As regards "staff news", I agree with Armorel./Yes, were it not for the fact that Karin's client is a univ. dept.
2 hrs
which brings us back to "our" original suggestion, I suppose ...
Something went wrong...
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