Ceci and cela
August 2, 2007
A reader alerted me to the fact that in my French translation of yesterday’s entry, I used ceci dit incorrectly. This is what I had written:
Toutes ces raisons sont valides, mais ceci étant dit, je ne donne jamais de réductions pour les gros projets (…) (These are all valid reasons, but having said all this, I never give volume discounts (…))
Ceci is cataphoric and as such, refers to what follows. I should have used cela, which is anaphoric and refers to what comes before. This proper use of the two terms is however not absolutely rigid, particularly in spoken French, where ceci and cela have a tendency to be used indiscriminately.
Thanks Jean-Paul!
Posted by céline, in Technical corner, on August 2, 2007Lamentable! You should give up translation and go into plumbing, or forestry. But you have taught me two new words which I am bitterly ashamed not to have known; I shall take special care in future not to get my anaphorae confused with my cataphorae.
Posted by Tony on August 2, 2007 12:28 PMI've taught you anaphoric and cataphoric? Chic, that makes me feel quite euphoric!
Posted by céline on August 2, 2007 1:43 PMSame here Tony!
Posted by Emmanuelle on August 3, 2007 12:09 PMAnaphorae? Cataphorae? I beg you, no! Anaphor and cataphor are the substantives refering to the pronouns used. The plurals are anaphors and kataphors, respectively. The adjectives are anaphoric and kataphoric. Anaphora and cataphora are the nouns refering to the phenomena (which by the way is generically 'coreference') and usually have no plurals.
Posted by Jim on August 9, 2007 3:30 PMJim, long time no comment, lovely to hear from you!
Posted by céline on August 9, 2007 3:36 PMPrevious: August 1, 2007
Volume discounts on large translation projects >>
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