Re: What are Water Chestnuts called in French?
On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 17:29:38 +0100, Ellie C <ellie@audeartistes.org>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Des Small wrote:[color=green]
>> The key to these things is to use the scientific name as an
>> intermediary, since folk-names for species are a translator's
>> nightmare. Thus:
>>
>> 1) Find scientific name => "Trapa natans",
>> (<http://plants.usda.gov:8080/plants/profile?symbol=TRNA>)
>>
>> 2) Google "(scientific name) francais" => Mâcre, Châtaigne d'eau
>> <http://perso.wanadoo.fr/erick.dronnet/trapa_natans1.htm>
>>
>> 3) Google candidates to establish preferred usage, which seems to be
>> « Châtaigne d'eau », yum yum.
>>
>> Des
>>[/color]
>Yes, I had tried that strategy - which I've used for garden plants many
>times - but didn't come up with "mâcre". Thanks![/color]
Well, I'm a French native speaker and I love cooking (and hence know
lots of names for lots of cooking-related stuff), but I *never* heard
or read the word "mâcre" before.
Nathalie in Switzerland
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