Literally-Translated Animal World Map Shows How Ridiculous Their Names Can Be
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These maps of Asia, Europe, and Africa will change how you look at every creature and critter using their translated synonyms.
Through a set of beautifully illustrated maps, you can reimagine what the animal kingdom would look like if these animals lived up to their literally translated names.
More info: tails.com
Africa’s Literally Translated Animals
Using translations from Swahili, Zulu and Afrikaans, we have found the literal translations for insects, mammals, sea creatures and more!
For example, the translation from the Nigerian language Hausa refers to Donkeys as ambassadors. I don’t know who it flatters more, the donkey or the ambassador, but we like the idea of ‘ambassador’ Donkeys roaming the streets:
Image credits: Tails.com
Reimagined African animal
Image credits: Tails.com
Asia’s Literally Translated Animals
From languages such as Korean, Sindhi, and Vietnamese, we’ve reimagined what it would be like if these animals fit their translations.
The literal Vietnamese translation for a Shark is ‘Fat Fish’ and you can understand why, though we wouldn’t recommend calling the shark fat (he might get offended)
Image credits: Tails.com
Reimagined Asian animal
Image credits: Tails.com
Europe’s Literally Translated Animals
These spectacular images feature translations in languages such as German, Norwegian, and Serbian.
You can see why a Hamster would be described as ‘The Observer’, they are always watching You from their neat little corners…
Image credits: Tails.com
Reimagined European animal
Image credits: Tails.com
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Native French speaker here. Guépard does not translate to "guard" in French. Where does this bullshit come from?
They only used Google Translate so...yeah... :(
Just tried it on google translate, comes out as cheetah
Oh, missed the part where they said that! My bad!
So...no Google translate gave me: cheetah-guépard
Indeed incredible rubbish. South-african (actually, just inherited Dutch) "kop" as part of "spinnekop" is the old English alternative name "cob" (as in, cobweb). The English verb "spin" exactly derives from this (dutch) name, the "spin" that is "spinning" its web. And then they bring up "butterfly" --- SERIOUSLY, "BUTTER FLY", TO NAME THE MOST GORGEOUS ANIMAL IN THE WORLD!? And then you're going to try to make fun of other languages?!?
Hey English, go the whole way and call caterpillars "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT MOSQUITO".
same, then the whole thing is questionable. :(
Some is right (like German Schildkröte), but, yeah, there's some really significant oversights. If the word for a specific animal is close to what it's called like in dozens of nations all across the world... any relation to other words from that language is probably accidental >.< Not difficult to figure out at all, if you ask me!
Curiously, "Hippopotamus" means "river horse" in Greek...
And that is exactly what it is called in danish as well
In Dutch the river is even specified. Nijlpaard = Horse from the river Nile.
"Kipepeo" is not an Afrikaans word. A butterfly is a "vlinder" which doesn't really translate into anything. As if "butterfly" isn't strange enough : butter & fly.
Hello, I'm the co-author of this work. We have reacted to the fact that there was a mistake that it's translated from Swahili, and not Afrikaans, so we changed the graphic. We know the translations are off, but that's because Google Translate was used.
google translate translates "puppet" into Swahili as "pupa", I think you'll need to explain your technique a little better
'Vlinder' refers to both butterflies and moths.
Really? Didn't know that.
Native French speaker here. Guépard does not translate to "guard" in French. Where does this bullshit come from?
They only used Google Translate so...yeah... :(
Just tried it on google translate, comes out as cheetah
Oh, missed the part where they said that! My bad!
So...no Google translate gave me: cheetah-guépard
Indeed incredible rubbish. South-african (actually, just inherited Dutch) "kop" as part of "spinnekop" is the old English alternative name "cob" (as in, cobweb). The English verb "spin" exactly derives from this (dutch) name, the "spin" that is "spinning" its web. And then they bring up "butterfly" --- SERIOUSLY, "BUTTER FLY", TO NAME THE MOST GORGEOUS ANIMAL IN THE WORLD!? And then you're going to try to make fun of other languages?!?
Hey English, go the whole way and call caterpillars "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT MOSQUITO".
same, then the whole thing is questionable. :(
Some is right (like German Schildkröte), but, yeah, there's some really significant oversights. If the word for a specific animal is close to what it's called like in dozens of nations all across the world... any relation to other words from that language is probably accidental >.< Not difficult to figure out at all, if you ask me!
Curiously, "Hippopotamus" means "river horse" in Greek...
And that is exactly what it is called in danish as well
In Dutch the river is even specified. Nijlpaard = Horse from the river Nile.
"Kipepeo" is not an Afrikaans word. A butterfly is a "vlinder" which doesn't really translate into anything. As if "butterfly" isn't strange enough : butter & fly.
Hello, I'm the co-author of this work. We have reacted to the fact that there was a mistake that it's translated from Swahili, and not Afrikaans, so we changed the graphic. We know the translations are off, but that's because Google Translate was used.
google translate translates "puppet" into Swahili as "pupa", I think you'll need to explain your technique a little better
'Vlinder' refers to both butterflies and moths.
Really? Didn't know that.