garçons qui poussent dru

[Jacques Brodeur]

... que vas-tu faire de ces grands garçons qui poussent dru?

... what are you planning to do with these (vigorous, ?) boys.

Thanks,

Jacques

 

[OLN]

dru est un adverbe ; pousser dru ne s'applique pas à un groupe de personnes puisque cela traduit une forte densité (pousser vigoureusement et de manière serrée, en grand nombre).

Je devine que tu as raison sur le sens voulu ici ; les garçons poussent avec vigueur : the boys grow vigorously = the become vigorous.

 

[Jacques Brodeur]

Thanks,

Jacques

 

[bloomiegirl]

Sounds to me like the boys are growing big and strong... I think...
Or is it that there are lots and lots of big boys around – perhaps closer to the meaning of the French phrase.

 

[Jacques Brodeur]

ms. bloomiegirl,

Thanks for your input.

Have a nice day.

Jacques

 

[braveheidi]

Sounds to me like the boys are growing big and strong... I think...
Or is it that there are lots and lots of big boys around – perhaps closer to the meaning of the French phrase.

I don't think it refers to their number, rather to them being vigorous. Depending on the context, there is also a slight sexual undertone, a reference to them being sexually vigorous.

 

[bloomiegirl]

Thank you braveheidi.

 

[OLN]

I don't think it refers to their number, rather to them being vigorous. Depending on the context, there is also a slight sexual undertone, a reference to them being sexually vigorous.

You sound like you know more about the context than the rest of us.

 

[Jacques Brodeur]

Clarifying the context: (somewhat convoluted)

In late 1800, (in an agriarian region with rocky and poor soil for farming), a Priest suggests to a father, who has eight single and strong sons, (thus: qui poussent dru) that, when of age, they move out and clear virgin forests - the text says "ouvrir des terres" - and settle in regions where the soil and terrain are more appropriate for farming.

I was also thinking of abled-body single man. Better suggestions?

Thanks,

Jacques

 

[OLN]

Je viens de faire une recherche sur "ouvrir des terres" que je ne comprends pas plus et je tombe sur des pages canadiennes.
Du coup, je me demande si on n'a pas affaire à un texte en québecois, peut-être même à un texte ancien ou en parler rural. Ca expliquerait que l'emploi de l'adverbe dru dans l'expression des garçons qui poussent dru soit difficile à comprendre.
J'en ferais un adjectif : en grandissant, ils deviennent forts et vigoureux, ils deviennent de grands gaillards.
étymologie de dru

 

[Jacques Brodeur]

Je crois aussi que c'est texte ancien ou en parler rural.

Jacques