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  3. Poetry & Literature

näfve hög

English translation: a hand high

16:57 Apr 1, 2013
Swedish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Swedish term or phrase: näfve hög
I think this archaic expression is approximately the same as "knee-high to a grasshopper":

"Vers har jag fabricerat sedan jag var en näfve hög."

" ... alt ifrån det han inte var mer än en näfve hög."

But I'm stumped on "näfve". Can it be a dialectal spelling of today's "näve"?
Charles Ek
United States
Local time: 10:56
English translation:a hand high
Explanation:
This is the literal meaning, but your version "knee-high to a grasshopper" is what I'd use. I came across a very interesting definition (see ref.)
Selected response from:

JaneD
Sweden
Local time: 17:56
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2a hand high
JaneD


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
a hand high


Explanation:
This is the literal meaning, but your version "knee-high to a grasshopper" is what I'd use. I came across a very interesting definition (see ref.)


    Reference: http://www.dsl.ac.uk/getent4.php?dtext=all&query=Neve
JaneD
Sweden
Local time: 17:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Wow! Thanks very much for that reference.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  kargaard
20 mins
  -> Thanks!
agree  Anna Herbst: Great reference, Jane. I had no idea! What I do know, is that horses are measured in hands, and a hand is 4 inches, or roughly 1 dm.
11 hrs
  -> Thanks Anna - yes, it was the measuring of horses in hands that I thought of too!
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