Cucumis - Free online translation service
. .



Translation - French-English - Il avait la langue torte.

Current statusTranslation
This text is available in the following languages: FrenchEnglish

Category Expression - Daily life

This translation request is "Meaning only".
Title
Il avait la langue torte.
Text
Submitted by Normier
Source language: French

Il avait la langue torte.
Remarks about the translation
Une mode ou manière de parler à lui en parlant.

Title
twisted tongue
Translation
English

Translated by Dewan
Target language: English

He had a twisted tongue
Last validated or edited by lilian canale - 27 March 2010 20:56





Latest messages

Author
Message

26 March 2010 22:53

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
Hi Dewan,

"fat" is not literal for "torte"

26 March 2010 23:13

Dewan
Number of messages: 44
Might also mean 'twisted' as in 'He has a twisted tongue' as in 'He tells lies'
Jöhn

26 March 2010 23:37

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
Yes, I think that's better

26 March 2010 23:38

Francky5591
Number of messages: 12396
Yeah, "twisted" is what I've been thinking about.
Tense is past tense in the original, I didn't translate as I wasn't sure about "he had", sounds like "he had dinner"

27 March 2010 12:58

Francky5591
Number of messages: 12396
I voted "right" although literally translated it would give : "He had a twisted tongue", for the reason I told above.

27 March 2010 13:02

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
Edited!

CC: Francky5591

27 March 2010 13:07

Dewan
Number of messages: 44
Or as the Yankees used to say 'He spoke with a FORKED tongue'!!

28 March 2010 13:48

Normier
Number of messages: 3
Is there any possibility of meaning:He spoke very fluently or persuasively in this expression ?

This phrase is in the quatrain of Michel Nostradamus: 78° of Centurie VIII:
Un Bragamas avec la langue torte:

He seems to have achieved something great with his power of speech.


28 March 2010 12:34

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
Normier, if you gave us more context it would be easier to find that out.

Francky? What do you think?


CC: Normier Francky5591

28 March 2010 13:42

Francky5591
Number of messages: 12396
Hi !
I posted a link to normier under the original, I don't know whether he had a look at it. There is an example for the use of this word in old French, as it isn't used anymore nowadays, not currently I mean, maybe someone speaking French can say that, but then it is just the same as quoting, it does reference to the old French, and maybe "torte" should be just like I typed it here (between quotation marks)

In this text in old French (part of it) :
"Mais quant bon vin bien la conforte, Et feru l'a li filz la torte (le fils de la vigne), Lors chante haut et lors s'envoise," ",la torte" is the name from the vine-stock (that was probably given to this plant because of its twisted shape).

Wine is well known for its desinhibiting effects, and at a certain time after having drunk some of this beverage, people are generally willing to speak more and louder (it doesn't last at this step though, because some time later it is the contrary, tongue from the guy who's been drinking becomes thicker and troubles of the elocution appear)

I'm intimely convinced the adjective in old French is directly making allusion to the name of the vine-stock, same as one can use the past participle/adjective "aviné" to speak about someone who's been drinking, even if the person has been drinking beer or another beverage that has nothing to do with wine.

So talking about someone who's got "la langue torte" can do reference either to "twisted", but it could also be willing to talk about someone whose speech is boosted by alcohol.

Same as Lilian, I would'nt assume anything without a bit more context, so, normier, if ever you could give us some more, it sure would be better.

Have a nice Sunday!

28 March 2010 16:28

Normier
Number of messages: 3
Nice explanation of Francky5591, I think: 'someone whose speech is boosted', excepting by alcohol, because this someone seems to be a church reformer of a kind of ascetic. Probably he is boosted in his speech by his high tension of self-conscience.

Would you tell me the text of quoted phrase:Mais quant bon vin ....... s'envoise ?

28 March 2010 20:38

Francky5591
Number of messages: 12396
Thanks for having given more context, Normier!
Yes, someone's speech can be boosted by other matters than alcohol (luckily)

About this text in old French :

"Aucun [je] cognois qui a souvent La vois malade, floibe et quasse, Se le fort vin ne l'a respasse ; Mais quant bon vin bien la conforte, Et feru l'a li filz la torte [le fils de la vigne], Lors chante haut et lors s'envoise", I found it here, but I can only provide you an approximative meaning, as I'm not a specialist of old French :
"There's someone I know whose voice is often ill, weak and broken, if some strong wine doesn't help her; But when a good wine comforts her/him well, and when the effects of the wine let her feel passionate (hearty), s/he then sings loud and ("s'envoise" : I can't find a meaning to this verb, maybe has it something to do with "vois"-old French-/"voix" -actual French/ "voice" in English-)

29 March 2010 06:51

Normier
Number of messages: 3
Francky5591,
Thanks for your valuable instructions.
I have the answer to my question now.
By the way, I find in the Lexique de l'ancien français by F. Godefroy (Honoré Champion, 1994),

ENVOISEMENT, plaisir, réjouissance.

Then, S'ENVOISE will mean the thing like it.