personnification

English translation: personification

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:personnification
English translation:personification
Entered by: Marianne Abdul Wahid

17:42 Nov 7, 2013
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Religion / personnification d'une divinité
French term or phrase: personnification
Bonjour tout le monde,

J'aurais besoin de votre avis: pour parler d'un officiant d'un temple hindou qui personnifie une divinité (avec costume + maquillage) et est ponctuellement considéré par l'assistance comme la divinité incarnée, quel terme utiliseriez-vous en anglais: "this man is the personification/impersonation of the deity" ?
Et par extension, diriez-vous: "he impersonates/personifies the deity" ? ou un autre terme?

Merci!
Marianne Abdul Wahid
personification
Explanation:
To impersonate someone is to pretend to be them. There is no element of deception here.
Selected response from:

philgoddard
United States
Grading comment
Thanks for your help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +5personification
philgoddard
4 +1Personification
Faye Stewart (Hathaway Green Ltd.) (X)
4incarnation (of a deity) / incarnated deity
Daryo


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +5
personification


Explanation:
To impersonate someone is to pretend to be them. There is no element of deception here.


    Reference: http://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/PERSONNIFICATIO...
philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Thanks for your help!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks to both of you! would you also say he is a "personifier"?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Faye Stewart (Hathaway Green Ltd.) (X): Sorry Phil, I missed you adding this - I agree with you obviously!
6 mins

agree  Catharine Cellier-Smart
42 mins

agree  Bertrand Leduc
1 hr

agree  rachelha
1 hr

agree  Helen Shiner
3 hrs
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Personification


Explanation:
He is a personification of the deity/he personifies the deity.
Either is fine, but this is better than 'impersonation', which has a slightly negative connotation. A 'representation' may be another option.

Faye Stewart (Hathaway Green Ltd.) (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:07
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Catharine Cellier-Smart
37 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
personnification (d'une divinité)
incarnation (of a deity) / incarnated deity


Explanation:
"... est ponctuellement considéré par l'assistance comme la divinité incarnée"
=
"... as the incarnation of that deity / the incarnated deity"

"...
Most of the time, good and evil forces are evenly matched in the world. But at times, the balance is destroyed and evil demons get the upper hand. Often in response to a request by the other gods, Vishnu then incarnates in a human form to set the balance right again. 10 Vishnu incarnations are generally recognized as the most important Vishnu avatars, even though opinions differ naturally and some sources may also see other important figures of the indian heritage as incarnations of Vishnu. ..."
[http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/vishn...]

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-11-07 19:19:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

the deity (existing nowhere and everywhere) takes the tangible from of the (human) flesh => incarnates

Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:07
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in FrenchFrench
Notes to answerer
Asker: Je suis d'accord, dans le contexte dans lequel je travaille (ethnologie - Inde) l'incarnation implique une action de la part de la divinité qui s'incarne dans une personne/un objet pour se rendre présente/palpable (donc une action du haut vers le bas), tandis que l'idée de personnification renvoie plutôt à une action du bas vers le haut, à savoir d'une personne par rapport à une divinité qu'il cherche à représenter (même si on considère que c'est souvent la divinité qui entre de manière active dans le corps de la personne..mais là on est dans les subtilités de la possession).

Asker: Pardon, mon commentaire répondait à la remarque de GILOU.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mercedes Claire Gilliom: I prefer this over "personification," which I understand to concern ideas/abstractions rather than a deity with human-like features.
2 days 1 hr
  -> Thanks!

disagree  GILOU: L'incarnation et la personnification sont deux concepts complètement différents.....
3 days 16 hrs
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