[INDOLOGY] Language use at the site of the Statue of Unity

Dan Lusthaus prajnapti at gmail.com
Sat Nov 3 05:22:53 UTC 2018


Google translator seems to be the source of the Chinese as well. It ’translates’ “statue of unity” into 团结的雕像, which is exactly what is on the plaque. The Spanish and French also are translated exactly as found on the plaque.
Dan


> On Nov 2, 2018, at 6:12 PM, Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
> 
> The following article <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/fact-check-name-board-with-wrong-translations-of-statue-of-unity-is-not-fake-news/articleshow/66475323.cms> states, "It appears that the translation errors were caused as those in charge of putting up the signage decided to use transliteration tools available online instead of taking assistance from natives."
> 
> Here is the Google transliteration tool for Tamil.
> https://www.google.com/intl/ta/inputtools/try/ <https://www.google.com/intl/ta/inputtools/try/>
> 
> If you type 'statue of unity', you get ஸ்டேட்டுக்கே ஒப்பி யூனிட்டி. Clearly, this is what they have done.
> 
> If they had used the Google Translation tool, they would have obtained ஒற்றுமை சிலை (Oṟṟumai cilai). If they had asked a native speaker, it would have been ஒற்றுமைச் சிலை.
> 
> They have used transliteration tool for languages available in the transliteration tool. For other languages, they seem to have used translation tool. I do not know why they gave primacy to the transliteration tool.
> 
> Many thanks to all those who commented on the different language versions.
> 
> Regards,
> Palaniappan
> 
>> On Nov 2, 2018, at 4:18 PM, Sven Sellmer via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info <mailto:indology at list.indology.info>> wrote:
>> 
>> It is also quite interesting, I think, that there is no Sanskrit version. One gets the impression that the person responsible for the plate did not give too much thought to it.
>> Best wishes,
>> Sven
>> 
>>> Am 02.11.2018 um 21:50 schrieb Richard G. Salomon via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info <mailto:indology at list.indology.info>>:
>>> 
>>> Well, to start with, the "Russian" is merely the English transcribed into the Cyrillic alphabet -- as are the Hindi, Gujarati, and (I think) the Urdu, but not the Bangla ("ekataa muurti"), French, and Spanish. Hard to see the logic.
>>> 
>>> The selection of languages seems to have been made on the basis of some list of the most widely spoken languages in the world/in India.
>>> 
>>> Rich Salomon
>>> 
>>> On Fri, Nov 2, 2018 at 12:52 PM Preston, Charles via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info <mailto:indology at list.indology.info>> wrote:
>>> Meanwhile, Patel in an address to Congress on independent India: “Its leaders would neither use a foreign language nor rule from a remote place 7,000 feet above sea level.” 
>>> 
>>> Also Patel at the beginning of a speech on unity:  “You want me to talk to you in English.  I shall obey your command; but take it from me that it will not be long before you yourselves will have to speak in our national language.  If you do not do that, you will drag the country backward.”  
>>> 
>>> That speech goes on to condemn the RSS: https://penguin.co.in/thepenguindigest/selected-speeches-and-writings-of-vallabhbhai-patel-an-excerpt/ <https://penguin.co.in/thepenguindigest/selected-speeches-and-writings-of-vallabhbhai-patel-an-excerpt/>.  
>>> 
>>> Oh, the irony!
>>> 
>>> -Charles
>>> 
>>> Charles S. Preston
>>> Millsaps College
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Nov 2, 2018, at 1:52 PM, Antonia Ruppel via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info <mailto:indology at list.indology.info>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> hope
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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