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Emails, courriers électroniques et mails

English translation: mails

06:21 Sep 19, 2008
French to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Internet, e-Commerce
French term or phrase: Emails, courriers électroniques et mails
The context is the quiz question as follows:
"Comment appelle-t-on les messages envoyés et reçus via Internet ?
a) Emails
b) Courriers électroniques
c) Messages virtuels
d) Mails
Les bonnes réponses sont les ***emails, courriers électroniques et mails***"
Given, that the first two should be translated as "e-mail" and "electronic mail", how can I translate "mails"?
Do you think I could use "mail" in EN or is there a better alternative?
All suggestions would be much appreciated.
Esther Lavedrine
France
Local time: 21:42
English translation:mails
Explanation:
Mail is used in English too, although it is ambiguous. Although I wouldn't normally advise its use for emails, it's perfectly acceptable in the case of this quiz

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Note added at 39 mins (2008-09-19 07:00:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

regular delivery of letters and small parcels, see also post; the organisation which operates such service (e.g. in Britain the Royal Mail); the letters and parcels delivered by such service; abbreviated from “electronic mail”, a store and forward message service on a computer, often using ...
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mail

Generic term for information transported on the Internet using one of the various mail protocols. Often used to distinguish mail from news.
www.scotsmist.co.uk/glossary_m.html

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Note added at 41 mins (2008-09-19 07:02:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Maybe, though, you should drop the 's'. Mail should be uncountable really in English, so it would not have a plural form
Selected response from:

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 20:42
Grading comment
Thanks everyone for your contribution. I shall go with "mail" which is not too ambiguous in this context.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2courriels/courriers électroniques
Jean-Claude Gouin
4 +2mails
Sheila Wilson
4 +2don't translate each item, write the equivalent question in EN
Martin Cassell
5Internet mail messages
carolynf
3 +1message
Emma Paulay
4correspondence
L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
courriels/courriers électroniques


Explanation:
Comment appelle-t-on les messages envoyés et reçus via Internet?
Moi, je les nomme des "courriels" ou des "courriers électroniques".
Je sais que mes ami(e)s Français disent "e-mails" ou "mails" mais
pas au Canada français!

Don't use "mail" in English; use "e-mail" and "e-mails".

Jean-Claude Gouin
Canada
Local time: 15:42
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
Notes to answerer
Asker: My question actually relates to how "mails" in FR can be translated into EN and not how messages sent via Internet are called in FR. Thanks anyway.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  swanda
1 hr
  -> Merci swanda ...
agree  L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen: meme les francais (eduque) disent courriel! le prof a TV% monde trouve ce mot d'ailleurs une excellente solution.
1 hr
  -> Merci Wessel ...
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
mails


Explanation:
Mail is used in English too, although it is ambiguous. Although I wouldn't normally advise its use for emails, it's perfectly acceptable in the case of this quiz

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 mins (2008-09-19 07:00:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

regular delivery of letters and small parcels, see also post; the organisation which operates such service (e.g. in Britain the Royal Mail); the letters and parcels delivered by such service; abbreviated from “electronic mail”, a store and forward message service on a computer, often using ...
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mail

Generic term for information transported on the Internet using one of the various mail protocols. Often used to distinguish mail from news.
www.scotsmist.co.uk/glossary_m.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 41 mins (2008-09-19 07:02:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Maybe, though, you should drop the 's'. Mail should be uncountable really in English, so it would not have a plural form

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 20:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks everyone for your contribution. I shall go with "mail" which is not too ambiguous in this context.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alain Pommet: Without the 's' gets round the problem quite neatly.
34 mins
  -> Thanks - yes, I think it really should be without the 's'
agree  mimi 254
39 mins
  -> Thanks
neutral  carolynf: "mails" when used in French specifically refers to emails, whereas mail in English maybe needs a couple of qualifiers to be as specific in its meaning
2 hrs
  -> Yes, I'd generally agree, but this is a quiz about the internet so I think it's clear here
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
message


Explanation:
Rather than mail, maybe just 'message' on its own.

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 21:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  tatyana000: I much prefer this to "mail"
1 hr
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
correspondence


Explanation:
what else

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-09-19 07:39:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Mails is not french I am afraid. Also e-mails = courriels as 1045 quite rightly says.

L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen
South Africa
Local time: 21:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in DutchDutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Martin Cassell: cela (un mail) se dit quand-même
3 hrs
  -> Certains parlent d'un Robot! Comme j'ai appris le francais j'appelle cela un feu rouge. Le francais n'est pas une langue pauvre...mais les gens sont paresseux!!!!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Internet mail messages


Explanation:
...

carolynf
France
Local time: 21:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Carolyn. If I could split Kudoz points, you'd have half of them!

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
don't translate each item, write the equivalent question in EN


Explanation:
I agree with the spirit of Ormiston's observation.

To my way of thinking, it is misconceived to strain one's brain to translate a set of language-/culture-based questions like this item-by-item. It makes much more sense to 'translate' the INTENT of the question by substituting a corresponding range of English terms.



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Note added at 5 hrs (2008-09-19 11:57:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ah, the joy of client diplomacy ... best of luck!

Martin Cassell
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Martin, I'd normally warn the client first and do what you suggested. However, this is a test for a major project so I'd prefer not to tell the client that the FR text doesn't make much sense in EN.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ormiston: thanks Martin - this seems to me a self-defeating exercise (I pity the translator!).
1 hr
  -> thanks ormiston
agree  Sandra Petch
1 hr
  -> thanks Sandra
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