Björn Vrooman Oct 2, 2014:

That was a really quick response...all questions are closed now.

Well then: Congratulations, Andreas.

Andreas Gerold Oct 2, 2014:

@Björn Du machst ja ganz schön Druck! ;-)

P.S.: "Sticks well" war ein origineller Beitrag in der Antwort von Wilestrans. Auch mir ist der Ausdruck "hebt" vertraut im Sinne von "fällt nicht runter oder auseinander" (Nagel, Bild, oder etwas Geklebtes). Das Wortspiel mit "Hebt." ist dadurch noch subtil witziger, da es den Leser verunsichert, ob nun Motor oder Aufkleber gemeint ist.

Björn Vrooman Oct 2, 2014:

@answerers As I have just looked up the asker's list of questions posed, I can tell you that at least two are still open - one from 2012 (!) and one from 2007 (!!).

Thus, I hope you are still around in 7 years, so we can close this entry.

Best wishes to all of you

Björn Vrooman Sep 24, 2014:

@Yorkshireman "Does the rest of the world actually know that Swabia has a reputation for premium quality and high-tech in the automotive segment?"

Good question. Do UK customers know where Mercedes originated? (Just an example of a title: http://www.stern.de/auto/fahrberichte/mercedes-cls-der-erobe... )

Nice list! Don't think they're silly.

On the other hand, assuming it's for a factory wall, I'd have to pose the opposite question: Since the asker put a slash in between the German and the English translation, I have to conclude both will be shown. Now, what do factory workers in the UK want with HEBT or Swabian quality?

The only thing I can think of in this context is going down the Audi path: It was actually a Brit who suggested to Audi that the company should leave its slogan in German.

And, yes, there is a certain risk to it. Assuming again it's a label on an engine, some newspaper might get the idea: HEBT - FÜR KURZE ZEIT.

Yorkshireman Sep 24, 2014:

Seriously though ... I see a risk of the press/media/competitors turning the idea against the company - imagine this:

Firma XXX HEBT QUALITY AUF
Firma XXX HEBT NUR PREISE
Firma XXX hat sich verhoben

Yorkshireman Sep 24, 2014:

@Björn Ah thowt yer mun lahk et.

Does the rest of the world actually know that Swabia has a reputation for premium quality and high-tech in the automotive segment?

How about a bunch of silly slogans:

"Swabia speaks quality, not just dialect."

"Swabian is the language of quality"

"If you understand Swabian, you'll understand quality"

"Swabia - the home of quality, ‘Made in Germany’

"Quality should be a word in Swabian dialect"

"Quality must have its roots in Swabian dialect"

"HEBT - Swabian dialect for quality" (assuming that the reader knows where Swabia is).

"MUNDART? - ENGINE ART!"

BTW: a lot of Leica owners/users in the USA seem to think that the company is in the Black Forest, not Hessen, and many in the UK thought it was an East German (GDR) brand.

Björn Vrooman Sep 24, 2014:

@Yorkshireman Thanks for your translation!

And, yes, I agree with what you just said. As I explained below, I would like to know what this is used for. But I guess I'll have to wait until the asker chooses an answer.

If it is indeed a label on an engine, maybe you should just say "SWABIAN QUALITY/ENDURANCE/RELIABILITY" or whatever.

PS: Ha ha, Swabian Endurance could do the trick. They probably have to endure a lot while working at the factory :)

Yorkshireman Sep 24, 2014:

I still don't really see the point. Why on earth take a word that doesn't mean anything to anyone - except a few thousand people in a small corner of Germany - and translate it into something for an international clientèle that has no idea of what the dialect word could possibly have meant in the first place (if hebt is even relevant to engine quality/endurance).

You could use almost anything
HEBT/PERFORMANCE
HEBT/POWER
HEBT/QUALITY
HEBT/ENDURANCE
HEBT/RELIABILITY

VORSPRUNG DURCH HEBEN (AUDI)
DAS AUTO HEBT (VW)
DAS HEBT, ODER NICHTS (MB)

Yorkshireman Sep 24, 2014:

I still don't really see the point. Why on earth take a word that doesn't mean anything to anyone - except a few thousand people in a small corner of Germany - and translate it into something for an international clientèle that has no idea of what the dialect word could possibly have meant in the first place (if hebt is even relevant to engine quality/endurance).

You could use almost anything
HEBT/PERFORMANCE
HEBT/POWER
HEBT/QUALITY
HEBT/ENDURANCE
HEBT/RELIABILITY

VORSPRUNG DURCH HEBEN (AUDI)
DAS AUTO HEBT (VW)
DAS HEBT, ODER NICHTS (MB)

Yorkshireman Sep 24, 2014:

@Andreas In the sense of "Das was du hier siehst/das was du hier tust" - motivation for the people on the assembly line. "This is the quality that only you can guarantee!"

"Das", as in cold drinks of any kind "Das zischt aber!" (the act of relieving thirst), "Das kommt gut an!" (whatever it may be).

@Björn

It's thee that meks em that gudd!

(It's you that makes them so good)

Björn Vrooman Sep 24, 2014:

@Andreas I didn't say anything about "das" being implied. Should be "der", since an engine is male in German. Otherwise you could be charged with first-degree murder of the correct German article :)

Andreas Gerold Sep 24, 2014:

@Björn @Yorkshireman Nein, nicht der Aufkleber: "das" ist ein Demonstrativum, ein indexikalischer Ausdruck – wie soll man verstehen, worauf sich das "das" bezieht, wenn es auf einem Aufkleber steht (in diesem Fall implizit im "hebt")?

Björn Vrooman Sep 24, 2014:

@Andreas Please have a look at the link given below. A lot of Wandaufkleber don't point to anything, really. So while I understand what Yorkshireman is saying, I cannot offer any additional explanation unless the asker specifies what is meant by "Aufkleber" in the question. Maybe bold face will get some attention...

Andreas Gerold Sep 24, 2014:

@Yorkshireman Talking about pointers: "Das" (which the one-word-sentence "Hebt" implies, of course) is a pointer and my main objection to your theory. Since a sticker does not have an index finger (well, okay, a sticker shaped like a hand would have an index finger but then again this would not resolve the difficulty), what would it point to? One can only take it to refer to the thing it sticks to, which would probably be a wall, according to your theory. But given the few pieces of context we have, it makes much more sense for the company to draw attention to their products, which are motors, to point out the work that went into it, and to make a promise: "It will never fall apart."

Björn Vrooman Sep 24, 2014:

PS I am still waiting for your Yorkshire translation of the word :)

Björn Vrooman Sep 24, 2014:

@Yorkshireman "DAS HEBT"

So, I guess we are in agreement that "mir" isn't part of the question?

"Zufriedenheit/Stolz heben (Hochdeutsch - level of job satisfaction or pride in the work)"
Now, I see where you're going with this! Honestly, I would have never guessed that one. If there is actually a double meaning, this would be a really bad pun, IMO.

Never mind "jemand hebt es" as "jemand muss sich übergeben", but "Stimmung/Zufriedenheit heben" means "sich bessern/steigern" and also typically means that the mood was gloomy or similar beforehand. Not sure they want to convey "Working here is actually depressing, but our engines make the difference."

"I don't see any pointers (or, indeed, point) to the sticker being applied to engines"
Frankly, I don't see any point to that, too. Just thought they may want to follow in Audi's footsteps popularizing some German term abroad. The asker said "Aufkleber". An Aufkleber for a wall looks like that:
http://www.ebay.de/bhp/wandaufkleber

I can't see that happening with a five-character label. Otherwise, an Aufkleber needs to be on some other object, i.e., the engine here. Asker also said "Qualitätsversprechen für Motoren", so it only refers to quality.

Yorkshireman Sep 24, 2014:

@Björn "DAS HEBT!"

A mixture of Swabian dialect and Hochdeutsch. I don't see any pointers (or, indeed, point) to the sticker being applied to engines - it would mean absolutely nothing to a buyer or user of the engine anywhere but in Swabia.

The significance must be local/regional for the dialect element to be understood, and that’s why I'm certain it's for use in the factory/on the production line.

Qualität halten (schwäbisch definition 4 of heben) and Zufriedenheit/Stolz heben (Hochdeutsch - level of job satisfaction or pride in the work)

BTW: Bedeutungen von heben - my words in brackets:

[1] auf größere Höhe bringen (a job well done/job satisfaction/motivation)
[2] übertragen: steigern (Productivity/quality)
[3] schwäbisch: etwas (fest-) halten (quality)
[4] schwäbisch: halten, ausdauern, in einem bestimmten Zustand bleiben. (quality)

Yorkshireman Sep 24, 2014:

@Björn DAS HEBT!

Typically German wordplay - in the sense of "When it's good, it makes us feel good" - for motivation in the factory/on the assembly line.

Andreas Gerold Sep 24, 2014:

@Björn Na ja, manche schlafen halt schon, wenn wir noch Fragen diskutieren. Oder schlafen ein, *während* wir noch Fragen diskutieren.

Aber heute morgen kriegen wir sicher eine Rückmeldung. Guten Morgen, Asker! Asker? Hallo?

Björn Vrooman Sep 23, 2014:

@Andreas While I still maintain it's not my dialect, I'll agree to your answer based on the following reference:
http://www.schwaebisch-schwaetza.de/schwaebische_unlogik.htm

Two examples on there:
"Ein Schwabe lupft etwas vom Boden, wenn er etwas aufhebt,
aber er hebt etwas, wenn er etwas hält."
+
"Etwas, das lange hebt, das hält sehr lange."

I did feel obligated to point out the length: Another example is the length of software program fields. Sometimes, that is specified due to formatting or other reasons - which means the word needs to be really short. Here, it could mean: LASTS is all that's needed.

But as the asker has not provided any feedback on the other question about Civic Welfare either, I am inclined to believe there will be no further explanation here as well.

If people don't want any help, then I can't help but just leave it at that.

PS: I once had an interesting discussion with Andrew during which Audi's slogan "Vorsprung durch Technik" came up. They kept this one in German intentionally because they wanted to point to German manufacturing skills. So, if that's the case here, you may well be right that this shouldn't necessarily be a job for a translator.

Andreas Gerold Sep 23, 2014:

Wenn auf dem Aufkleber genug Platz wäre … … könnte ich mir höchstens vorstellen: "Hebt! … is Swabian for: Built to last." Aber hier wäre dann ein Werbetexter gefragt, kein Übersetzer.