Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2012 November 2

= November 2 =

Alhambra...a kind of Gazebo?
Our article "gazebo" says that an "alhambra" is a kind of gazebo. I can't find any reference to the word "alambra" being related to a gazebo. Online searches turn up only the greek city of Alampra (which has an alternative spelling with a 'b' in it) and several other place-names spelled "Alhambra" with an 'h'. Online dictionaries seem to have no definition for that word.

Is the article correct? (and if it is, we need a reference!) SteveBaker (talk) 01:27, 2 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Odd, Steve. I found many hits containing Alhambra and Gazebo.  This one tells me an Alhambra is a gazebo recognised by a dome-shaped canopy.  --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  01:32, 2 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Ah! That's the problem...the article spelled it without the "h".  OK - can fix it now! Thanks! SteveBaker (talk) 01:42, 2 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Repeat after me: "In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen." Clarityfiend (talk) 07:40, 2 November 2012 (UTC)
 * The rine in Spine sties minely in the pline. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 02:19, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

"Rolling hills" in French
What would be the correct way to say "Rolling hills" in French? A friend suggests "Collines Roulant", but seeing as that has only 87 Google hits (many of which seem to be automatically machine-translated versions of English-language sites), I doubt that's the most accurate translation. Thank you in advance. 86.158.81.44 (talk) 19:36, 2 November 2012 (UTC)


 * The use of rolling before hills is idiomatic in English, which means that it isn't likely to translate directly into other language. Hills don't really roll, after all. In French, colline already implies a feature with a rounded top (whereas a steeper or more rugged feature is likely to be called a mont or montagne regardless of height).  The only thing that is missing is the idea of a landscape full of rounded hills, as implied in the expression rolling hills.  To convey this, you might use paysage de collines.  Marco polo (talk) 20:08, 2 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Edit conflict. A word for word translation: "Collines roulantes" or "Collines qui roulent". but it makes no sense to me in French. I don't known the meaning of the phrase "Rolling hills" in English. If it is used to describe a landscape may be: "un moutonnement de collines". — AldoSyrt (talk) 20:12, 2 November 2012 (UTC)


 * I'm not a native speaker, so I'm not sure about moutonnement. It may be poetic.  Un paysage de collines would be a way to convey rolling hills if you want to describe a landscape objectively.  If you are using it to describe a more subjective experience ("We drove over rolling hills") you might use une ondulation de collines.  Marco polo (talk) 20:27, 2 November 2012 (UTC)
 * "un moutonnement" is a usual metaphor in French (France). "une ondulation" is fine too. — AldoSyrt (talk) 20:42, 2 November 2012 (UTC)
 * For what it worth. I searched on google.fr the following phrases:
 * {| class="wikitable"

! Onduler !! Hits !! Moutonner !! Hits
 * "ondulation de collines" || 103 || "moutonnement de collines" || 3900
 * "ondulations de collines" || 5840 || "moutonnements de collines" || 39
 * "collines qui ondulent" || 9060 || "collines qui moutonnent": || 832
 * }
 * When I think it over, I use spontaneously the plural "des ondulations de collines", rather than "une ondulation de collines"; but "un moutonnement de collines". — AldoSyrt (talk) 09:44, 3 November 2012 (UTC)
 * There are even more hits for "collines ondulantes" (24,400) and "collines onduleuses" (10,000). Lesgles (talk) 18:44, 3 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I know a Colleen who is quite undulous. μηδείς (talk) 19:18, 3 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I have an aunt named Coline, pronounced Colleen. Some people wonder if it indicates French heritage, but no.  My grandparents had already had 3 girls and they were hoping for their first son, whom they named Colin in advance.  No such luck; but they'd become attached to the name Colin by then, so they just added an e.  She's usually just called Col anyway, which is what she would've been called if she'd been a male.  They went on to have a 5th girl, my mother, and never any sons.  That's the penalty for presumptuousness.  --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  20:54, 3 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your help everybody! Very much appreciated. :) 86.158.81.44 (talk) 03:45, 4 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I know a Colleen who is quite undulous. μηδείς (talk) 19:18, 3 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I have an aunt named Coline, pronounced Colleen. Some people wonder if it indicates French heritage, but no.  My grandparents had already had 3 girls and they were hoping for their first son, whom they named Colin in advance.  No such luck; but they'd become attached to the name Colin by then, so they just added an e.  She's usually just called Col anyway, which is what she would've been called if she'd been a male.  They went on to have a 5th girl, my mother, and never any sons.  That's the penalty for presumptuousness.  --   Jack of Oz   [Talk]  20:54, 3 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your help everybody! Very much appreciated. :) 86.158.81.44 (talk) 03:45, 4 November 2012 (UTC)