Re: [translations] German translation: a german word for “node”

[Gerhard Killesreiter]

Konstantin Käfer wrote

>thanks for the answers so far. It would be really interesting to know
>what a native speaker associates with the word when he hears "node".
>  
>


I've asked on #drupal:

21:22 < killes> 
http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/translations/2005-December/000050.html 
<== can any native English speaker comment on that?
21:23 < killes> I can collect the answers and mail them.

21:24 < eaton> 'node' is a pretty bland word to my ears, like 'set'.
21:25 < eaton> it's like using the term 'locomotion' because you have to 
cover walking, running, driving, riding, etc.

21:34 < Morbus> killes: i think he confirmed our definition of "node" 
pretty immediately.
21:35 < killes> Morbus: who he?
21:35 < Morbus> "a term that stands for something that is connected - 
not a single content element" - he's right. node/123 is not a single 
content element. It is the a nexus of sidebar, headers, footers, 
comments, and usually far more.
21:36 < Morbus> So, his definition of node, something that is connected 
and NOT a single thing, is quite right, and quite right for usage in Drupal


21:42 < eaton> I wouldn't say that 'node' is technical in nature. It 
just means nothing to end  users.
21:42 < eaton> It's a content-free word.


>But I somehow can't cotton on to using "Knoten". A node/knot is rather
>a term that stands for something that is connected - not a single
>content element.
>

Translators should not try to make the original better. ;)

> On the other hand, the same "problem" exists probably
>also in english but the inhibition of giving a word another meaning is
>- at least that's what I think - higher in the german language.
>

No, Germans are just pretty anal about chosing _just_the_one_right_word_. ;p

> And
>that's possibly also the reason why we prefer "importing" english
>words into the german language rather than inventing new ones or using
>others.
>
>  
>

I just hate this. This is one of the reasons why I don't bother to help 
with the actual translation to German, btw, I have discussed this (and 
other issues like Du vs Sie and which orthography to use) too often to 
be interested.

>Gerhard, what exactly do you mean with
>  
>
>>Also, the word 'node' should not show up in the end-user visible strings anymore due to its technical nature.
>>    
>>

We have removed the word "node" from most of the strings that need 
translation. I think it still shows up in a few of the admin help texts. 
I count 12 occurences when grepping for "node ".

Cheers,
    Gerhard


>Regards,
>Konstantin
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