Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2007 January 31

= January 31 =

online translation
Is there an online translation that can translate English to Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Pashto, Farsi, Arabic, Laotian, Vietnamese, Burmese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Punjabi, Turkish, Filipino, Cambodian, Greek, Korean and Thai and Bengali to english etc.? Don Mustafa 9;09 pm
 * There is no online translation tool that makes any attempt to translate all of them. There is no tool in the world (nor I suspect person) that is able to translate all of them. If you're looking for a translator that attempts translate between any two of those (no online translator actually succeeds, yet), search using Google. freshofftheufo  ΓΛĿЌ  05:10, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

ethnic origin of name "OTTE"
Anybody know where the last name "Otte" comes from? German? By any chance, is it Polish?


 * This site has plenty of info. According to one of the links on that page, it's German, Danish and Dutch. - Akamad 06:21, 31 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Otte as a surname was not found here but suggests the surname Otto which is derived from the first name Otto (see Otto I) which is, in turn, derived from the first name Odo. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 07:09, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Presto
What is presto? It seems to be a proper name of Italian origin. --Fitzwilliam 08:41, 31 January 2007 (UTC)


 * It is Italian for "quickly". See presto. --Shantavira 09:13, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

What is a "Dining Ell"?
Some residential real estate advertisements feature a "Dining Ell" as a type of Dining Area of a house. What is a "Dining Ell"? Thank you for your time & assistance. ≈vjhiladoVjhilado 19:21, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Congrats. It's not every day I encounter an English word for something as mundane as that and have never heard it before.  It's an ell in which one has installed a dinner table. --Diderot 19:34, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Mmm, I don't think that's quite it. That "ell" as linked above refers to a wing of a whole building; in this expression I would expect it to refer to part of a room. I've lived in several apartments that had an L-shaped living/dining room. It would make sense to call think of this as a living room with a "dining ell". --Anonymous, January 31, 2007, 23:41 (UTC).
 * Ell is defined here as a wing. It could be reminded that aisle is the same word with a slightly similar prononciation. -- DLL .. T 15:33, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
 * "Aisle" is an unrelated word and irrelevant here. --Anon, February 3, 21:47 (UTC).
 * A dining ell is nothing more than a seperate room to a right angle of the rest of the house, if you think of the letter L the lower part of the L would be where the dining room is located. --Anon, April 30 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 204.11.248.3 (talk) 14:37, 30 April 2007 (UTC).

Bunch of
I was reading the article on Photosynth and came across this phrase - "A Photosynth experience begins with nothing more than a bunch of digital photos." It grated with me and seems unsuitable for Wikipedia, can I change it or am I being too fussy? Ali.seaton 19:24, 31 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Uggh. The whole article reads too much like a marketing piece for my comfort.  Does this even belong in Wikipedia?  Can a piece of software that hasn't even been released yet be notable?  Marco polo 19:32, 31 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I've tried to make it a little less advertising-y. I suspect some of it, at least, can be traced back to those responsible for the software! I also added another reference, but to be honest it doesn't have much presence outside computer blogs and the official sites. Not even that much news coverage. I would be neutral in an AFD. Skittle 23:45, 31 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I see that they've included a reference to a BBC article to thwart the likes of me. It is both kind of sad and a testament to the power of Wikipedia that it has now become part of a marketing strategy.  Marco polo 01:51, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

Is there anywhere I can check the correct grammar?
I have to underline all nouns and pronouns and provide a (n or p) after each noun and pronoun in some questions and was wondering if there is anywhere I am able to check my work? For example: The mask(n) allows researchers(n) to monitor the crustacean's(n) heartbeat(n).

-- Heather


 * Stating the obvious: have you tried a dictionary, or even a Wiktionary? Most dictionaries will tell you at the beginning of each entry what type of word each is. You might want to look at our article on pronouns, as that is a fairly limited set of words (we don't keep making more of them). — Gareth Hughes 01:15, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

Veekayvee 06:48, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

Hinduism: translation of Di and Ki
(moved from Humanities desk)

Namaste,

I asked this question in the Language section already, and didn't get answers. So I'm asking the Hindus here: What does the "di" or "ki" at the end of Jai Mata mean? I understand Jai Mata means Victory to Mother(Goddess), but what's the purpose of the syllable at the end? I understand Jai Mata Di is Hindi, and I suspect the Ki is Bengali. Please help me understand the terms associated with the Goddess I worship every day!

Jai Ma, -- &#2384; Snowgrouse 11:17, 1 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Hasn't this been answered already? I recognize it... 惑乱 分からん 13:04, 1 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Well, here it was, anyway, although there was no true answer: Reference_desk/Archives/Language/2007_January_14 惑乱 分からん 15:27, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

In my opinion it is becoz of "Jai Mata Ki" is Hindi for "Victory to the Mother" -- ki being the possessive particle.

I believe "Jai Mata Di" is the same phrase in Punjabi.

In my experience, they usually signal the cult of Vaishno Devi, a hugely popular form of Durga whose shrine in Jammu is a mass pilgrimage destination.

As North Indian vernacular expressions, these terms of praise are not pan-Indian or pan-Hindu. I think you'll find they're little known and almost never used in South India


 * I'm afraid that we are lacking people with a knowledge of Indic languages. I have virtually no knowledge of Indic languages, but, knowing the meanings of "jai" and "mata", it is possible to identify likely meanings for the particles at the end of the phrase.  One possibility is that "di" or "ki" is a postposition meaning something like the English prepositions "to" or "for".  Alternatively, if "mata" is already explicitly or implicitly dative, "di" or "ki" could be a causative postposition.  Hopefully someone who really knows Hindi or Bengali will come along to correct me, but, failing that, these are some possibilities.  If we aren't able to provide a definitive answer, you might try asking another worshipper who speaks one of these languages.  That person could probably explain the meaning of the syllable.  Marco polo 15:59, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure this was asked in 2006, too...but I'm not sure, and I'm too lazy too look it up. But "jai mata ki" means "victory to the Mother Goddess". So I guess you could say that it means "to". I'm pretty sure that "di" is the Punjabi translation of "ki", but it could be another language. FruitMart07 04:24, 3 February 2007 (UTC)