Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2013 May 30

= May 30 =

Polish and German speakers needed to check sources an article.
See Help desk and German Minority (political party). It appears that we have an article on a 'political party' that doesn't actually exist as such. Both the Polish-language and German-language  Wikipedia articles linked to this article refer to an 'Election Committee', and not a political party. Could I ask for volunteers with the necessary language skills to check the relevant material, and confirm exactly what the situation is, so we can sort this mess out - the article talk page is probably the best place for this. AndyTheGrump (talk) 14:54, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure if it's a political party, but it participates in elections. I think it's similar to the UDMR in Romania: not a party, but acting like one, since it is a representative body of a national minority. 109.99.71.97 (talk) 17:58, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Could you clarify whether you are basing that on the sources cited in the article, or on personal knowledge? We need to get the article right - and we can only do that if we can source it properly. AndyTheGrump (talk) 18:27, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I just read the German article, which seems fairly well sourced. This organization fields candidates in elections, and its representatives sit in a provincial council.  It has one representative  in the Polish parliament.  While its name in German and Polish contains a term that means "electoral committee" in English, I don't see how this organization is functionally different from a political party. That said, the title of our article should probably be a more direct translation of the organization's name: German Minority Electoral Committee. Marco polo (talk)
 * After reading the German article too, ...it is a bit comparable to the South Schleswig Voter Federation in Germany, as it enjoys certain advantages when elections are held; I agree with Marco polo that it is in essence a political party. I also agree with the name offered: German minority Electoral Committee, and will move the article there. Lectonar (talk) 19:45, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Oh, and it is listed as a "party" in the Sejm, at least in the German article, whereas here it is listed as a "political group".......Lectonar (talk) 19:49, 30 May 2013 (UTC)


 * We may need a person with knowledge in the Polish constitution here. As our articles state, the "group" is not subject to the 5% minimum hurdle applicable to political parties, otherwise it would not have a seat in the national parliament with 0.19% / some 28k voters.  There may be special constitutional provisions (and possibly restrictions) for minorities in the Silesian counties.  --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:39, 30 May 2013 (UTC)

The German and Polish words for political party are Partei and partia respectively. If someone can find a reliable source that says that this entity is a party or a Partei or a partia, then I guess our article can say it's a party. If not, then it shouldn't. This isn't really a question for the language desk, unless you have a specific non-English text you want translated or explained. Victor Yus (talk) 05:43, 31 May 2013 (UTC)


 * The following is speculation based on the situation in Germany, but at least it is consistent with the German article. Some electoral systems are not very well suited for true independent candidates even if those are possible. In such a system there can be parties that downplay their official party status and present themselves as vehicles to get loosely affiliated independents elected without the more typical trappings of parties in those systems. KarlLohmann (talk) 12:42, 31 May 2013 (UTC)

There is no such political party as "German Minority" in Poland. According to Polish election law, candidates may be proposed only by election committees, registered prior to an election. These committees may be registered either by a political party or by a group of at least 15 citizens. German Minority is an election committee of the latter variety. Its own website says quite unequivocally: Komitet Wyborczy nie jest partią polityczną ("The election committee is not a political party"). — Kpalion(talk) 04:00, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

Cancer village in China
What is "Cancer village in China" in Chinese (either traditional or simplified; preferably both)? Does Wikipedia have an Chinese article corresponding to "Cancer village in China"? Can the English article be improved with information from the Russian article? —Wavelength (talk) 16:07, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * 中国癌症村 (simplified). See this. 中國癌癥村 (traditional). Oda Mari (talk) 16:51, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Here is a link to the article on this topic in the Chinese Wikipedia. zh:中國癌症村. Marco polo (talk) 17:20, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Thank you both. I have added to the English article an interlanguage link to the Chinese article.
 * —Wavelength (talk) 19:07, 30 May 2013 (UTC)

Living out of a car
Is there any difference in meaning between phrases "Mike is living out of his car" and "Mike is living in his car" or even "Mike lives in his car"? --Pxos (talk) 20:31, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * All seem like comfortable, easy to understand English and none would appear awkward. There may be stylistic concerns regarding the context for each of them, as to when and where to use them, but none are awkward sounding or anything like that.  Google Ngrams favors the "living in his car" formulation, see Here, but none of the three phrases really dominates.  -- Jayron  32  20:34, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I don't agree. A person who is living out of his car generally sleeps in it and stores things in it, little else -- sometimes doesn't even sleep in it.  If I heard the other two versions, I would infer that Mike spends a lot of time in his car, not just sleeping or using it for storage. Looie496 (talk) 20:44, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Like Jayron says, they're all perfectly good English phrases. However, I can use them in subtly different ways: "Mike is living out of his car" suggests that I'm temporarily homeless, and, whilst still attending work, I'm using my car to sleep in. "Mike is living in his car" suggests that I'm somehow permanently inside my car - never coming out. "Mike lives in his car!" simply suggests that I spend a lot of time driving. The differences are subtle, but can be useful if you need them. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 20:48, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * My take is as Cucumber Mike's, and is interesting to compare to Looie's: my opinion is similar to Looie's, but I'd move the word "just", as in "If I heard the other two [lives/is living in], I would infer that Mike just spends a lot of time in his car, not sleeping or using it for storage. Writ Keeper &#9863;&#9812; 20:54, 30 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Thirded. A person who is 'living out of his car' might sleep in it from time to time, but I'd think it more likely that they were living in a series of motel rooms, with all their worldly possessions in the back of the car. AlexTiefling (talk) 07:11, 31 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I disagree that "Mike is living in his car" suggests he never leaves it. I'm living in an apartment, but that doesn't mean I never leave it. Angr (talk) 08:53, 31 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Mike is living in his car is present continuous, suggesting a finite action currently in progress; Mike is homeless for a finite but unspecified period and is using his car as his domicile. Mike is living out of his car is the same tense, but I'm with AlexTiefling that the storage aspect is implied by out of but the use as a bedroom is not. Mike lives in his car is present simple, so we're looking at a habit or a state of being.  Either the vehicle is the guy's actual home, with no end in sight, or it's metaphorical and he just spends a lot of time driving, as suggested. -  Ka renjc 18:05, 31 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Thank you for the comprehensive answers. It is always a great pleasure to find, in a few moments, a thorough and clarifying explanation to the question at hand. Let's hope that Mike does not – presently and continuously – live in his car! --Pxos (talk) 00:51, 2 June 2013 (UTC)