"Translators" needed

[Steph]

For my mod, I want to give to each civilization units name in their "original" language.

Like the French units are "Chevalier", "Piquier", "Parachutiste"...

For aircraft, ships or tank, I usually use the name of the ship / aircraft, so it's not difficult to do.

But I need help to find the correct name for the other units, from someone who masters the language and with good enough historical knowledge to get the correct names (sometime not a direct translation).

First, I need a German speaker, as I'm working on... Germany.

Next I'll need a Russian speaker.

You can also register for another civilzation, so we can start working on the unit names in advance.

Reminder: list of the civilization in my mod for future translators.

Currently being translated
Germany
http://stephane.f.david.free.fr/CivMod/Germany_UnitList.htm

To do list
Italy: Sofista
Egypt
Hellas
Mesopotamia
Russia
China: Dann
Japan :
India :
Asia Minor :
Mexico :
Africa :
Iberia :
Scandinavia :
Arabia :
North Africa :
Andes :

Done list:
France : Steph
Britain : Not needed
America : not needed

 

[Mirc]

What are you going to do to Russia, China, Japan, India or Arabia, which use different alphabets?

 

[Virote_Considon]

I think most of those languages have some sort of Roman alphabet spelling

 

[Sofista]

If you need help for the Italian unit, I'm at your disposal

 

[Steph]

What are you going to do to Russia, China, Japan, India or Arabia, which use different alphabets?

Ask Firaxis to make a patch so we can use different fonts in game for unit names, and ask all the players to learn all these alphabets.

 

[Wolfhart]

Scandinavia is a bit troublesome since it's (at least) three different languages. But hey, I'm willing to contribute the Swedish translations! (I seem to remember I've done this before, a long time ago...)

 

[Yoda Power]

I speak Danish if you need any of that.

 

[Mirc]

I speak Romanian... wait you don't need that.
I speak Italian, but I'm sure Sofista speaks it REALLY A LOT better than me.



Also, does anyone speak the language that you're going to use for Mesopotamia, whatever that might be?

 

[Diviner]

if you will add hungary (though unlikely) in the future, i am here
i speak almost nothing besides english (little german).

though if you do not find anyone willing to translate, i am sure using webtranslator will give a good result in most of the european languages i guess, because the way of expressions by language tools are similar (compared to eastern, its almost they hardly differ), well hungarian is one of the exceptions, but you won't use hungary.

 

[Steph]

I'd like to have more than a simple translation, but also someone who can help with the culture of the country to find the best name.

For instance, with Sweden
Musketeer = Musketerare
Fusilier = Fysiljär
But the correct name for the 18th century soldier would be Karolin

Not a direct translation.

See Wolhart? I kept some of the translation I had sometimes ago . But I need to expend it to other units

 

[Diviner]

actually i entered swedish wikipedia "karolin" and "fysiljär"

"karolin" redirected to "karoliner", indeed an emblematic swedish soldier from the great northern war (1700-1721), so i would settle with this name. on the other hand fysiljär do not exist in their wiki (perhaps less important for them or karoliner represents that advanced-musketeer type soldier).

i also entered "musketerare" and only a few sentences i found, but they mention Dumas, the great novelist. knowing that the english title of his book is "The Three Musketeers" i would say 90% sure in sweden it means the same.

i think if you lack the "translator manpower" in this way many direct translation could be checked by importance and cultural impact (one non-native can only deducate this ofc) especially with sweden and their big wikipedia. well it is not the greatest, but it could be certainly faster than find a native speaker in time.

finally i hope you do not find this whole action too intrusive

 

[Wolfhart]

I'd like to have more than a simple translation, but also someone who can help with the culture of the country to find the best name.

For instance, with Sweden
Musketeer = Musketerare
Fusilier = Fysiljär
But the correct name for the 18th century soldier would be Karolin

Not a direct translation.

See Wolhart? I kept some of the translation I had sometimes ago . But I need to expend it to other units

No problems there, I've got a good grasp of Swedish military history and denominations. Together with Yoda and any Norwegian volunteer we can give you a smorgasbord of Scandinavian names, and then you may take your pick...

Karolin is correct at least for the early 18th century, meaning a soldier (infantry or cavalry) in the army of King Karl XII, but most often used specifically about an Swedish infantryman of the same army with the blue and yellow uniform (I remember you converted unit graphics of such soldiers then).

 

[Wolfhart]

i also entered "musketerare" and only a few sentences i found, but they mention Dumas, the great novelist. knowing that the english title of his book is "The Three Musketeers" i would say 90% sure in sweden it means the same.

Any hero of Dumas would actually be a 'musketör' in Swedish, while the Swedish musket-armed soldiers were 'musketerare'.

 

[Phlegmak]

My wife and I speak Spanish, but she's a native speaker and I'm not.

Virote_Considon, the term you are looking for is "transliteration". Transliterating means taking some nonRoman alphabet, and rewriting the foreign terms using the Roman alphabet. Like the Russian word for friend (дру&#1075, when transliterated, is "droog". Actually, I'm not sure how to correctly transliterate that word, but what I wrote is close enough.

 

[Aabraxan]

I may be able to help with German. I'm not sure my knowledge of things military is strong enough to get you names for all of the units you'll need, but I do speak the language. I'll help if I can.

 

[Partizanac]

Whaaaa???? no Serbian CIV ?????

 

[Blue Monkey]

I can help with the Indian units, at least the pre-gunpowder ones. Is there somewhere a list of the units in your mod?

 

[Steph]

Whaaaa???? no Serbian CIV ?????

I kept them out to preserve balance. Serbia is so powerfull it would have make the game unplayable.

 

[Steph]

I can help with the Indian units, at least the pre-gunpowder ones. Is there somewhere a list of the units in your mod?

Yes, there's an Excel spreadsheet. I'm reorganizing it a bit to list all the names properly

 

[Plotinus]

My wife and I speak Spanish, but she's a native speaker and I'm not.

Virote_Considon, the term you are looking for is "transliteration". Transliterating means taking some nonRoman alphabet, and rewriting the foreign terms using the Roman alphabet. Like the Russian word for friend (дру&#1075, when transliterated, is "droog". Actually, I'm not sure how to correctly transliterate that word, but what I wrote is close enough.

I'm sure that's right, because that's what it is in A clockwork orange!