I think I might need a real German for this one. German dopers’ English is much better than my German, so maybe this will work.
I’m trying to work out an adequate translation for “Wegbegehung”–the context is Medieval processions. I know it has something to do with a trajectory along a route, but is there an old fixed meaning for this-- something ritualistic like what in English they used to call the “beating of the bounds” during, um Bittwoche/ Bittagen/ Kreuzwoche/ Rogation? Or some other kind of excursion? What’s the current meaning of this, roughly? Something specific?
Oh, and while we’re at it, how about herangetragene Wirklichkeit? “Conveyed” realism? Assimilated?
I’m really jealous of you guys with the cool compoud word thing, but it’s hell to translate. Thanks in advance.
I don’t know whether this will help, (other than a bump) but Babel Fish Translation translates Wegbegehung as “way commiting” and herangetragene Wirklichkeit as “near-carried reality”.
No offense meant, but Babelfish is absolute crap at translating anything with any degree of complexity. It’s useful to get the jist of a webpage, but nothing more.
Yeah, thanks, Fire Engine, but I’m looking for something much more precise in the end. I gave that a whirl just in case it might have an unexpected hit, but nope.
Bumping this now that Europe’s had its morning coffee.
The part about the coffee is correct, but let’s say it’s 6:30 and Europe’s programming assignment was due this night.
As you probably know, Begehung is a noun derived from begehen. That means something between perform (e.g. a ritual) and celebrate (e.g. an anniversary) or perpetrate a crime - (more or less) actively taking part in an event. There are examples where this is used in the context of pilgrimages. Another related meaning of Begehung is given as inspection in my dictionary: A formal, possibly ritualized exploration or inspection of a location. e.g. the official approval of a finished construction site or the investigation of a crime scene.
Neither Google nor Grimm’s dictionary* give a special, noncompositional meaning for Wegbegehung that fits this context. Depending on the exact context it might refer to traversing the way of the cross (Kreuzweg) or just a procession along some other way.
herangetragene Wirklichkeit could be something like conveyed or proposed reality. It is a bit hard to judge without context.
*Grimm’s Wörterbuch (yes, the fairy tale Grimms) is available online. It is a bit dated, but it’s still an invaluable dictionary for more arcane German words (German only.)
Heh-- s’ok, Fire Engine. I do the same thing.
Kellner-- thanks for the information-- I just wanted to make sure that there wasn’t some fixed meaning I didn’t know. Kreuzwegandacht is close to the context here and is a helpful concept.
Germans should have, instead of spelling bees, compound-word- or etymology-bees, like where a 7th grader has to stand in front of people and explain “Horizontverschmeltzung” or “Simultanraumenbühne” in single-syllable words.
Thanks for pointing me to Grimm, too. That looks useful.
Cheers.