gadget

English translation: promotional gift

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:gadget
English translation:promotional gift
Entered by: Flavia Cubeddu

15:59 Mar 17, 2007
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Advertising / Public Relations / Gadgets
Italian term or phrase: gadget
We are dealing with Communication and advertising: there is a list af promoting activities such as: immagine coordinata, volantini, conferenza stampa, locandine, sito web e gadgets.
I don't know if "gadget" is an Italian or an English term and if they have the same meaning..........thank you
Flavia Cubeddu
Local time: 13:41
free gifts/gimmicks web gadgets
Explanation:
A gadget in Italian is one of those words taken from English, where as in many cases, the meaning and useage changed in the passage from language to language. A gadget, in English as Jim Tucker says is a mechanical device, like a tin opener, corkscrew or bottle opener as wikipedia says:

A gadget or gizmo is a device that has a useful specific purpose and function. Gadgets tend to be more unusual or cleverly designed than normal technology

The gadget in Italian is originally an English gadget used in advertising as a free gift to promote sales of something and then generalised to include any free gifts which are not necessarily gadgets in the original English sense.

A gimmick wikipedia:
A gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. Product gimmicks are sometimes considered mere novelties, and not really that relevant to the product's functioning. However, some seemingly trivial gimmicks of the past have evolved into useful, permanent features.

However, as somebody who learnt to translate on a mechanical (not even electric) typewriter I recently trotted out my established wisdom on gadgets to a customer, who replied that there are plenty of advertising "gadgets" all'italiana on the web. Web gadgets are electronic gadgets used on the web to help sell things. veru similar to the Italian gadget.

Typical English useage: a Swiss army knife is full of gadgets.
Selected response from:

James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Local time: 21:41
Grading comment
Sorry I'm assigning only two points but I think Jim actually had the right solution with "promotional gift" (which is close to free gifts)
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2gadget
Adele Oliveri
5free gifts/gimmicks web gadgets
James (Jim) Davis


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
gadget


Explanation:
è un termine in uso sicuramente in entrambe le lingue, e indica gli oggetti inutili e divertenti. nel marketing, per gadget si intendono, generalmente, gli articoli con il logo dell'azienda dati in omaggio a clienti e fornitori.

hth

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Note added at 36 mins (2007-03-17 16:35:16 GMT)
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certo! per essere più precisa, potresti dire "promotional gadgets":

http://www.gadgetsuk.com/Promotional-products-gifts-and-gadg...


Adele Oliveri
Italy
Local time: 18:41
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 28
Notes to answerer
Asker: Posso quindi lasciarlo cosi nella traduzione dall'italiano all'inglese? Era quello il mio dubbio............


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Luisa Fiorini
21 mins

neutral  Jim Tucker (X): ok - IF these objects are electronic items or tools - that's the meaning of "gadget" in English (synonym for "neat device") . If you are talking about pens or t-shirts or address books etc. - those are "promotional gifts" or "freebies"
38 mins
  -> thanks for clarifying this, Jim! :-)

neutral  Fiona Grace Peterson: Agree with the terms posted by Jim, I wouldn't use the term gadget in this context.
48 mins

agree  potra: Yes, I loved "inspector gadget"
3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
free gifts/gimmicks web gadgets


Explanation:
A gadget in Italian is one of those words taken from English, where as in many cases, the meaning and useage changed in the passage from language to language. A gadget, in English as Jim Tucker says is a mechanical device, like a tin opener, corkscrew or bottle opener as wikipedia says:

A gadget or gizmo is a device that has a useful specific purpose and function. Gadgets tend to be more unusual or cleverly designed than normal technology

The gadget in Italian is originally an English gadget used in advertising as a free gift to promote sales of something and then generalised to include any free gifts which are not necessarily gadgets in the original English sense.

A gimmick wikipedia:
A gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. Product gimmicks are sometimes considered mere novelties, and not really that relevant to the product's functioning. However, some seemingly trivial gimmicks of the past have evolved into useful, permanent features.

However, as somebody who learnt to translate on a mechanical (not even electric) typewriter I recently trotted out my established wisdom on gadgets to a customer, who replied that there are plenty of advertising "gadgets" all'italiana on the web. Web gadgets are electronic gadgets used on the web to help sell things. veru similar to the Italian gadget.

Typical English useage: a Swiss army knife is full of gadgets.


James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Local time: 21:41
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 94
Grading comment
Sorry I'm assigning only two points but I think Jim actually had the right solution with "promotional gift" (which is close to free gifts)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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