Fairy tales: a small glossary

Bartocus123

Senior Member
Spanish - Castellano
¡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 :)
 
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  • 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.
     
    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.
     
    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".
     
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    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)
     
    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
     
    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
     
    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
     
    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?
     
    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.
     
    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
     
    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
     
    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
     
    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
     
    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
     
    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
     
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    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
     
    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
     
    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?
     
    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.
     
    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?
     
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