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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5 |
I have translated many books from German into English. I am working on a project right now that has a rather odd word in it, which is one of those perfect words that very few people seem to know. The German word is "pendeln," which means to swing or sway back and forth as a pendulum. The correct English word is "pendulate," but it is so rarely used that it will very likely look wrong to the reader.
So, I'm looking for a really good substitute for "pendulate."
Vacillate is close, but it carries the baggage of hesitation with it. Fluctuate comes close, as does oscillate. However, none of these is really a perfect substitute for pendulate.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 557
addict
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addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 557 |
It would be really helpful to have a complete sentence to be sure suggestions would fit the context.
How about seesaw?
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
A really fine question. I suppose swing to and fro or shuttle won't do either. I see that pendeln is also used for commute. Maybe waffle or waver might do. Could you provide the context of the verb in German?
[Addendum: to yo-yo?]
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
I dunno; here's a recent citation that looks good to my eye, "The American electorate for some decades has pendulated between liberalism and conservatism." (read: swung, alternated, oscillated) more examples
Last edited by tsuwm; 03/13/08 05:39 PM.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
What's wrong with the good old simple one syllable non-technical term 'swing'? As in "the American electorate for some decades has swung between liberalism and conservatism."
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
>has swung between liberalism and conservatism
!!
-joe (mantled again) friday
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Oscillate.
And welcome, Bill.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
>oscillate
like I said, "usually"!
-joe (it's not unusual today) friday
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
Yeah, give us the sentence/context, Bill. I am a translator, too, and don't see what's wrong with swing, until I see the context.
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