Fairy tales: a small glossary

[Bartocus123]

¡Hola!

Me gustaría hacer un pequeño glosario multilingüe, provisto de las palabras más comunes que podemos encontrar en un cuento de hadas.

I'd like to make a small multilingual glossary made up of the most common words we can find in a fairy tale.

English - Spanish

Bosque - wood
Bruja - witch
Brujería - witchcraft, sorcery
Caballero - knight
Castillo - castle
Conjuro - spell
Cuco - bogeyman
Doncella - maiden
Duende - goblin
Dragón - dragon
Enano - dwarf
Espada - sword
Geniecillo - elf
Gigante - giant
Gnomo - gnome
Hada - fairy
Magia - magic
Monstruo - monster
Ogro - ogre
Poción - potion
Princesa - princess
Príncipe - prince
Trol - troll
Veneno - poison

Espero tu aporte
De antemano, gracias

 

[Awwal12]

Sorry, but there is no abstract "witches" in Russian fairy tales, it would be impossible to find a Russian analogue for gnomes, fairies and trolls, etc. Of course, I can provide a simple translation (troll = тролль /troll'/, gnome = гном /gnom/ etc.), but I don't see much sense here. Should I still do that? And, I suppose, with other languags (Japanese, for example) there could be even bigger problems.

 

[Bartocus123]

Sorry, but there is no abstract "witches" in Russian fairy tales, it would be impossible to find a Russian analogue for gnomes, fairies and trolls, etc. Of course, I can provide a simple translation (troll = тролль /troll'/, gnome = гном /gnom/ etc.), but I don't see much sense here.

Maybe that is the case of words such as "gnome", "troll" (and perhaps "ogre" and "elf"; probably they just have an "adaptation" of those words, or even "borrowings" form any West European language), but the other ones, buddy, I am quite sure that they have an analogue word in almost every existing language in the world.

Should I still do that? And, I suppose, with other languags (Japanese, for example) there could be even bigger problems.

It surprises me that, as you say, "most languages have not words to say wood, castle, sword, poison, etc." Not like that.

 

[Awwal12]

It surprises me that, as you say, "most languages have not words to say wood, castle, sword, poison, etc." Not like that.

Of course they have, but the words like "castle", "spell" and "giant" may have no much to do with folk fairy tales. For example, many analogues of "knight" exist in Russian, but the more typical hero of fary tales is "a strong man" - a warrior, and not necessary of noble origin: "богатырь".

 

[Awwal12]

English - Russian

1. wood - лес /les/
2. witch - "ведьма" /ved'ma/ (f.), a female sorcerer- "колдунья" /koldunya/
Such a general character doesn't exist in Russian tales, but there is a close personification: "Баба-Яга" /Baba-Yaga/ (literally ~ "Old Woman Yaga")
3. witchcraft, sorcery - "колдовство" /koldovstvo/
4. knight - archaic "витязь" /vityaz'/ (an ancient loanword from Baltic languages); "рыцарь" /rytsar'/ (a late loanword from German language, through West Slavic languages; doesn't exist in fairy tales at all); ~"богатырь" /bogatyr'/ (a strong man, a warrior, not necessary of noble origin; a very ancient loanword from Turkic languages; they are quite widespread characters in fairy tales, and main heroes of Russian heroic epic).
5. castle - "замок" /zamok/.
You hardly can meet this word in Russian fairy tales. Historically, Russian medieval feudals usually didn't build such a remote, strong fortified personal houses. The word itself is a calque from a German "Schloß", loaned from West Slavic languages.
6. spell - "заклинание" /zaklinaniye/; the word "чары" /chary/ although will be more suitable here.
7. bogeyman - m.b. "бука" /buka/ (a very, very abstract creature used only to threaten naughty children)
8. maiden - "девица" /devitsa/
9. goblin - "гоблин" /goblin/ (doesn't exist in fairy tales); browny - домовой /domovoy/ (a spirit of the house, usually kind; small, stocky and shaggy old man). But I never heard a fairy-tale about a domovoy - probably because Russian peasants believe in them even nowadays, and domovoy naturally demands a high respect, so he shouldn't be mentioned in vain.
10. dragon - "дракон" /drakon/ (doesn't exist); similar personification is Змей Горыныч /Zmey Gorynytch/, a fire-spitting dragon with 3 (or more) heads; literally "Serpent, son of Goryn(a)". A character (usually evil) of fairy tales; sometimes he participates in heroic epic, and even in modern joking stories.
11. dwarf - "гном" /gnom/; "карлик" /karlik/ (a small man, a pygmy). Doesn't exist in fairy tales.
12. sword - меч /metch/; also a sabre - сабля /sablya/ is very popular.
13. elf - эльф /el'f/. Isn't found in Russian fairy tales.
14. giant - великан /velikan/. Isn't something usual in fairy tales, I must mention.
15. gnome - гном /gnom/. They don't exist in Russian fairy tales.
16. fairy - фея /feya/. All the same.
17. magic - волшебство /volshebstvo/
18. monster - чудовище /chudovishche/, чудище /chudishche/
19. ogre - людоед /lyudoyed/ ("human-eater"). Not a typical character anyway; but Baba-Yaga in some tales eats people.
20. potion - зелье /zelye/
21. princess - княжна /knyazhna/, царевна /tsarevna/, королевна /korolevna/, королевична /korolevichna/; the most equal variant is "принцесса" /printsessa/, but it surely is not used in fairy tales.
22. prince - "царевич" /tsarevitch/, "королевич" /korolevitch/; "принц" /prints/ (see "принцесса").
23. troll - "тролль" /troll/. No analogues.
24. poison - "яд" /yad/, "отрава" /otrava/; more frequently in fairy tales - "зелье" /zelye/ (syn. to "potion" in some contexts)

 

[apmoy70]

English - Spanish - Greek

Wood - bosque - ξύλο (ksilo, n.). The magic wand (which is made of wood) is called μαγικό ραβδί (maʝiko ravði, n.)
Witch - bruja - μάγισσα (maʝisa, f.)
Witchcraft, sorcery - brujería - μαγεία (maʝia, f.)
Knight - caballero - ιππότης (ipotis, m.)
Castle - castillo - κάστρο (kastro, n.)
Spell - conjuro - ξόρκι (ksorki, n.)
Boogeyman - cuco - μπαμπούλας (bambulas, m.)
Maiden - doncella - literally παρθένα (parθena, f., the virgin. In fairy tales, βασιλοπούλα-vasilopula, f., the little queen->princess and πριγκηποπούλα-priŋgipopula, f., the little princess are more common)
Goblin - duende - καλικάντζαρος (kalikantzaros, m.)
Dragon - dragón - δράκος (ðrakos, m.)
Dwarf - enano - νάνος (nanos, m.)
Sword - espada - ξίφος (ksifos, n.)
Elf - geniecillo - ξωτικό (ksotiko, n.)
Giant - gigante - γίγαντας (ʝiɣandas, m.)
Gnomo - gnome - ξωτικό (ksotiko, n.)
Fairy - hada - νεράϊδα (neraiða, f.)
Magic - magia - μαγεία (maʝia, f.)
Monster - monstruo - τέρας (teras, n.)
Ogre - ogro - τελώνιο (telonio, n.)
Potion - poción - μαγικό φίλτρο (maʝiko filtro, n.)
Princess - princesa - πριγκήπισσα (priŋgipisa, f., or πριγκηποπούλα-priŋgipopula, f., the little princess)
Prince - príncipe - πρίγκηπας (priŋgipas, m.)
Troll - trol - τελώνιο (telonio, n.) or θεριό (θerʝo, n.)
Poison - veneno - δηλητήριο (ðilitirio, n.)

[ð] is a voiced dental non-sibilant fricative
[ɣ] is a voiced velar fricative
[θ] is a voiceless dental non-sibilant fricative
[ʝ] is a voiced palatal fricative
[ŋ] is a velar nasal

 

[Encolpius]

Hungarian

erdő - wood
boszorka - witch
varázslat - witchcraft, sorcery
lovag - knight
palota - castle
vrázsige - spell
mumus - bogeyman
szűz - maiden
kobold - goblin
sárkány - dragon
törpe - dwarf
kard - sword
tündér - elf
óriás - giant
törpe - gnome
tündér - fairy
varázslat - magic
szörny - monster
óriás - ogre
varázsital - potion
hercegnő - princess
herceg - prince
manó - troll
méreg - poison

 

[shiningstar]

Turkish-English

Tahta/ahşap - wood
Cadı - witch
Cadılık - witchcraft, sorcery
şövalye - knight
Kale - castle
Büyü - spell
Umacı - bogeyman
Bakire - maiden
Gulyabani - goblin
Ejderha - dragon
cüce - dwarf
Kılıç - sword
N/A - elf (there is not a word which gives the eact meaning of elf)
Dev - giant
cin cüce - gnome
Peri - fairy
sihir - magic
canavar - monster
N/A - ogre
iksir - potion
Prenses - princess
Prens - prince
N/A - troll
Zehir- poison

 

[Ben Jamin]

English - Russian

13. elf - эльф /el'f/. Isn't found in Russian fairy tales.
14. giant - великан /velikan/. Isn't something usual in fairy tales, I must mention.
15. gnome - гном /gnom/. They don't exist in Russian fairy tales.
16. fairy - фея /feya/. All the same.
19. ogre - людоед /lyudoyed/ ("human-eater"). Not a typical character anyway; but Baba-Yaga in some tales eats people.

But you have translations of foreign fairy tales, haven't you? For instance Grimm brothers? Or you change everything while translating?

 

[shaloo]

Here is the glossary for English - Telugu, a Dravidian Language, spoken by a large number of people in South India.

English - Telugu (script) - Telugu Pronunciation in Roman Script

wood - అడవి - aDavi

witch - మంత్రగత్తె - mantragatte

witchcraft, sorcery - మాయ మంత్రాలు - maaya mantraalu

knight - వీరుడు - veeruDu

castle - కొట - koTa

spell - మంత్రం - mantram

bogeyman -

maiden - కన్య - kanya

goblin - పిల్ల దెయ్యం - pilla deyyam

dragon -

dwarf - మరుగుజ్జు - marugujju

sword - ఖడ్గం - khaDgam

elf - దెయ్యం - deyyam

giant - రాక్షసుడు - raakshasuDu

gnome - పిశాచము / పిశాచి (m/f) - pisaachamu / pisaachi

fairy - యక్షుడు / యక్షిణి (m/f) - yakshuDu / yakshiNi

magic - మాయ OR ఇంద్రజాలం - maaya or indrajaalam

monster - బ్రహ్మ రాక్షసుడు / బ్రహ్మ రాక్షసి (m/f) - brahma rakshasuDu / brahma raakshasi

ogre - భూతం - bhootam

potion - కషాయం - kashaayam

princess - రాకుమారి - raakumaari (short form of raaja kumaari meaning daughter of the king)

prince - రాకుమరుడు - raakumaaruDu (short form of raaja kumaaruDu meaning son of the king)

troll -

poison - విషం - visham

P.S.: I couldn't immediately think of the Telugu counterparts for two or three words, will post here when I get them.

 

[ilocas2]

Czech language

Bosque - wood - les
Bruja - witch - čarodějnice
Brujería - witchcraft, sorcery - čáry
Caballero - knight - rytíř
Castillo - castle - hrad
Conjuro - spell - kouzlo
Cuco - bogeyman - strašák
Doncella - maiden - děvče
Duende - goblin - skřet
Dragón - dragon - drak
Enano - dwarf - trpaslík
Espada - sword - meč
Geniecillo - elf - elf
Gigante - giant - obr
Gnomo - gnome - skřítek
Hada - fairy - víla
Magia - magic - magie
Monstruo - monster - příšera, obluda
Ogro - ogre - zlobr
Poción - potion - lektvar
Princesa - princess - princezna
Príncipe - prince - princ
Trol - troll - trol
Veneno - poison - jed

 

[Favara]

Catalan

wood - bosc
witch - bruixot (male), bruixa (female
witchcraft, sorcery - Bruixeria
knight - cavaller
castle - castell
Spell - conjur, encís
boogeyman - home del sac (rarely, if ever, used in tales)
maiden - donzella, fadrina
goblin - donyet (general evil small humanoid), simiot (beast-like evil humanoid)
dragon - drac, tarrasca, víbria (female)
dwarf - nan
sword - espasa
elf - elf, foiet
giant - gegant
gnome - gnom
fairy - fada
magic - màgia
monster - monstre
ogre - ogre
potion - poció, pòcima
princess - princesa
prince - príncep
troll - troll
poison - verí

 

[Goddess Mystyxx]

English - Filipino
Wood - kahoy
Witch - bruha
Witchcraft, sorcery - salamangka
Castle - castilyo
Spell - sumpa
Boogeyman - moo moo
Maiden - Princessa
Goblin / elf / dwarf - duende
Dragon - dragón
Sword - espada
Giant - higante
Fairy - diwata
Magic - magika
Monster - Halimaw
Ogre - ogro
Potion - gayuma
Princess - prinsesa
Prince - prínsepe
Poison - lason

 

[Dehemelisgrijs]

English - Serbian
wood - šuma
Which - veštica
Whichcraft - veštičarenje
Castle - dvorac, zamak
Spell - čin
Boogeyman - hmm. drekavac, strašilo
Goblin - goblin
Elf - vilenjak
Dwarf - patuljak
Dragon - zmaj
Sword - mač
Giant - džin
Fairy - vila
Magic - magija
Monster - čudovište
Potion - napitak
Princess - princeza
Prince - princ
Poison - otrov

 

[ketchupi]

English - French
wood - bois
Whitch - sorcier (masculin) sorcière (fem)
Whitchcraft - sorcèlerie
Castle - chateau
Spell - sort
Boogeyman - croquemitain
Goblin - goblin
Elf - Elfe
Dwarf - nain
Dragon - dragon
Sword - épée
Giant - géant
Fairy - fée
Magic - magie
Monster - monstre
Potion - potion
Princess - princesse
Prince - prince
Poison - poison

 

[zoetsa]

Correcting n completing Hungarian:

erdő/rengeteg/kerekerdő - wood
boszorka/boszorkány - witch
varázslat - witchcraft, sorcery
lovag/vitéz - knight
palota - castle
varázsige - spell
mumus - bogeyman
leány/szűz - maiden
kobold/manó - goblin
sárkány - dragon
törpe - dwarf
kard - sword
tündér - elf
óriás - giant
gnóm/törpe - gnome
tündér - fairy
varázslat - magic
szörny - monster
óriás - ogre as giant, Shrek is an ogre
varázsital - potion
királylány/hercegnő - princess
királyfi/herceg - prince
manó/óriás/szörnyeteg/troll - troll (it depends)
méreg - poison

 

[Penyafort]

In Aragonese, with a few additions:

SPANISH - ENGLISH - ARAGONESE
bosque - wood - selva
bruja - witch - broixa
brujería - witchcraft - broixería
brujo - wizard - broixón
caballero - knight - caballero [plural caballers /kaβa'ʎes/]
castillo - castle - castiello
conjuro - spell - conchuro or esconchuro
coco - bogeyman - cocón or totón
doncella - maiden - mesacha
duende - goblin - diaplerón [plural diaplerons] or diaplín [plural diaplins]
dragón - dragon - dragón [plural dragons]
enano - dwarf - nano
espada - sword - espata
geniecillo - elf - follet [plural follez /fo'ʎeθ/] or menuto
gigante - giant - bigardo or chigán or ome granizo
gnomo - gnome - gnomo or menuto
hada - fairy - fada or mora or encantaria or lavandera [depending on the type of fairy]
hechicero/a - sorcerer/ess - maldador/a
hechizo - spell - maldau
magia - magic - machia
monstruo - monster - mostro
ninfa - nymph - laina
ogro - ogre - ogro
poción - potion - pozión
princesa - princess - prenzipesa
príncipe - prince - prenzipe
trol - troll - trol
veneno - poison - vereno or solimán

 

[Trisia]

For some words, especially those we calqued, he second one is more "localised"

Wood - pădure / codru (more poetic)
Witch - vrăjitoare
Witchcraft, sorcery - vrăjitorie
Knight - cavaler
Castle - castel
Spell - vrajă
Bogeyman - baubau
Maiden - fată, fecioară
Goblin - goblin, drăcușor (little devil)
Dragon - dragon, but ours are "zmeu"
Dwarf - pitic
Sword - sabie, paloș
Elf - elf, spiriduș
Giant - uriaș
Gnome - gnom, pitic
Fairy - zână
Magic - magie, vrajă
Monster - monstru
Ogre - căpcăun
Potion - poțiune, licoare
Princess - prințesă, domniță
Prince - prinț
Troll - trol
Poison - otravă

 

[Ben Jamin]

English - Russian

1. wood - лес /les/
2. witch - "ведьма" /ved'ma/ (f.), a female sorcerer- "колдунья" /koldunya/
Such a general character doesn't exist in Russian tales, but there is a close personification: "Баба-Яга" /Baba-Yaga/ (literally ~ "Old Woman Yaga")
3. witchcraft, sorcery - "колдовство" /koldovstvo/
4. knight - archaic "витязь" /vityaz'/ (an ancient loanword from Baltic languages); "рыцарь" /rytsar'/ (a late loanword from German language, through West Slavic languages; doesn't exist in fairy tales at all); ~"богатырь" /bogatyr'/ (a strong man, a warrior, not necessary of noble origin; a very ancient loanword from Turkic languages; they are quite widespread characters in fairy tales, and main heroes of Russian heroic epic).
5. castle - "замок" /zamok/.
You hardly can meet this word in Russian fairy tales. Historically, Russian medieval feudals usually didn't build such a remote, strong fortified personal houses. The word itself is a calque from a German "Schloß", loaned from West Slavic languages.
6. spell - "заклинание" /zaklinaniye/; the word "чары" /chary/ although will be more suitable here.
7. bogeyman - m.b. "бука" /buka/ (a very, very abstract creature used only to threaten naughty children)
8. maiden - "девица" /devitsa/
9. goblin - "гоблин" /goblin/ (doesn't exist in fairy tales); browny - домовой /domovoy/ (a spirit of the house, usually kind; small, stocky and shaggy old man). But I never heard a fairy-tale about a domovoy - probably because Russian peasants believe in them even nowadays, and domovoy naturally demands a high respect, so he shouldn't be mentioned in vain.
10. dragon - "дракон" /drakon/ (doesn't exist); similar personification is Змей Горыныч /Zmey Gorynytch/, a fire-spitting dragon with 3 (or more) heads; literally "Serpent, son of Goryn(a)". A character (usually evil) of fairy tales; sometimes he participates in heroic epic, and even in modern joking stories.
11. dwarf - "гном" /gnom/; "карлик" /karlik/ (a small man, a pygmy). Doesn't exist in fairy tales.
12. sword - меч /metch/; also a sabre - сабля /sablya/ is very popular.
13. elf - эльф /el'f/. Isn't found in Russian fairy tales.
14. giant - великан /velikan/. Isn't something usual in fairy tales, I must mention.
15. gnome - гном /gnom/. They don't exist in Russian fairy tales.
16. fairy - фея /feya/. All the same.
17. magic - волшебство /volshebstvo/
18. monster - чудовище /chudovishche/, чудище /chudishche/
19. ogre - людоед /lyudoyed/ ("human-eater"). Not a typical character anyway; but Baba-Yaga in some tales eats people.
20. potion - зелье /zelye/
21. princess - княжна /knyazhna/, царевна /tsarevna/, королевна /korolevna/, королевична /korolevichna/; the most equal variant is "принцесса" /printsessa/, but it surely is not used in fairy tales.
22. prince - "царевич" /tsarevitch/, "королевич" /korolevitch/; "принц" /prints/ (see "принцесса").
23. troll - "тролль" /troll/. No analogues.
24. poison - "яд" /yad/, "отрава" /otrava/; more frequently in fairy tales - "зелье" /zelye/ (syn. to "potion" in some contexts)

You repeat many times that this or that word does not appear in Russian fairy tales. But does it also mean that there are no Grimm Brothers' fairy tales translations to Russian? And if there exist, are all of them transformed into Russian background fairy tale world?

 

[Awwal12]

You repeat many times that this or that word does not appear in Russian fairy tales. But does it also mean that there are no Grimm Brothers' fairy tales translations to Russian? And if there exist, are all of them transformed into Russian background fairy tale world?

No, of course not. The fairy tales edited by the Grimm Brothers or Charles Perrault have been translated into Russian (many times, to that matter) fully reflecting West European folklore.

 

[Ben Jamin]

No, of course not. The fairy tales edited by the Grimm Brothers or Charles Perrault have been translated into Russian (many times, to that matter) fully reflecting West European folklore.

So it would not be wrong to include the words like knight or castle in the glossary?

 

[Awwal12]

So it would not be wrong to include the words like knight or castle in the glossary?

No, technically it wouldn't, though it could be potentially misleading.