Fountain Pen In Your Language

[hungh]

 

hungh,

 

Like a previous correspondent in one of the older threads quoted, it is not exactly the case.

 

The Chinese language works on the principle that smaller units are strung together to make any general term more specific. Here the basis is "bi", which refers to any writing instrument, and even long instruments. Here we use the word "pen" to replace it.

 

lead - pen = pencil

goose - feather - pen = quill

but: iron - pen = crowbar.

 

Since the nibbed pen is an import, this system can often be pushed a bit too far:

 

dip - water - pen = dip pen

 

Here "water" refers to an aqueous fluid, in this case ink.

 

And with the advent of the fountain pen there are several ways to tackle it:

 

ink - water - pen (here, "ink - water" is another example of making the base word "water" specific.)

 

self - arrive - water - pen ("self - arrive - water" is yet another example which means "tap water". This also means why sometimes, fountain pens are referred to as "tap water pens" by some.)

 

steel - pen

 

Nowadays this is almost a generic term for fountain pen but in a more specific context it means a fountain pen with untipped steel nib. If that be the case there would be:

 

gold - pen

 

iridium - gold - pen (here "gold" refers to "metal", so it is effectively "iridium - metal", or "iridium")

 

The mechanics of languages can be fascinating, but pretty much all are ultimately frustrating

Hi Seele,

 

You are right, but we tend to call all fountain pens "steel pens".

Makes things a lot easier when trying to talk to others

 

We use the different nibs to distinguish between the gold-tipped, iridium tipped, etc..

 

 

[StephY]

More variation in Chinese: in my youth in Hong Kong we called them 墨水筆 - 墨水=ink, 筆= "bi" pen.

[Amyj]

Last part seems the same sign as in Chinese. Interesting.

interesting topic, too.

 

D.ick

 

The whole phrase means the same in both languages, interestingly. In chinese (simplified), 万年筆, wàn nián bi (with the upside down hat on the i that I couldn't get)

Same meaning; ten thousand year pen.

Edited January 31, 2014 by Amyj

[WirlWind]

In 'Straya (Australia), I've heard them called many things:

 

- Ink drippah

- Bloody bleedah

- Broken

- Fancy-ass pen

- "WTH IS THIS!?"

- Aww strueth

- Founty

 

I'm sure there are other names, but these are just some of the ones I've heard in person.

[theexpanciluser]

Bulgarian is автоматична писалка, which means automatic pen, but why?? I have no idea.

[WirlWind]

Bulgarian is автоматична писалка, which means automatic pen, but why?? I have no idea.

 

 

Probably because it automates the inking process which (previously) was done by dipping.

[Ecriveur]

in Dutch it is 'vulpen' ... fillpen

 

I like this one. I think I'm going to start using "Vulpen" in English.

[marcelo]

In 'Straya (Australia), I've heard them called many things:

 

- Ink drippah

- Bloody bleedah

- Broken

- Fancy-ass pen

- "WTH IS THIS!?"

- Aww strueth

- Founty

 

I'm sure there are other names, but these are just some of the ones I've heard in person.

 

Hey! That's what people think my pen and I are! Have a look here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/246675-what-do-people-say-to-you-when-you-whip-out-that-pen/page-9

 

Well, they can go to http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-devil10.gif.

[georges zaslavsky]

in french , it is stylo plume, the plume or the feather was used before the fountain pen and gave birth to it

[indigositrus]

In Chinese it is 钢笔, which literally means "steel pen". In Norwegian it is "fyllepen", which means something like "fill pen" or a pen that you fill.

French isn't my language, but it is my second language, and fountain pen in français is "stylo plume", which translates to "feather/quill pen" or "nib pen".

 

To be overly picky, it's fyllepenn in Norwegian. Yes, fountain pens are pretty (pen = pretty), but they're also pens (penn)

Fyllepenn translates directly to filling pen, and it pretty much means a pen that you fill (as you've already said).

[napalm]

In 'Straya (Australia), I've heard them called many things:

 

- Ink drippah

- Bloody bleedah

- Broken

- Fancy-ass pen

- "WTH IS THIS!?"

- Aww strueth

- Founty

 

I'm sure there are other names, but these are just some of the ones I've heard in person.

 

Mate, we're more polite up here in the cold. It's called a "Nice Pen" (aka anything that cannot be instantly recognized as a Sharpie or BIC stick). If it has a large, well exposed nib that cannot be mistaken for a ballpoint/rollerpoint, it's called a "Nice Pen, How Do You Write With That?".

Edited July 2, 2014 by napalm

[ushref]

I read some denominations in Spanish (México and Spain). In Argentina we use those same denominations, but also is used "lapicera" or "lapicera a fuente", where the part "a fuente" could be translated as "fountain". Regards.

[basterma]

In Arabic, the words translate as ink pen or feather pen. I f you are in syria or Lebanon it can also be called a Stylo pen, which is borrowed from French. Unfortunately, I don't have the Arabic typeset on this computer, otherwise I'd type the words out.

[jcpbkk]

In thai: ปากกาหมึกซึม

Paakaa-merk-serm

(this sound "er" pronounced nearly like in "over")

And this can be "translated" as

Pen-ink-flow

[fledermaus89]

just to add my two cents on east asian translations, I think 鋼 more likely means 'hard' than 'steel' as in the specific alloy, so gold nibbed pens aren't necessarily excluded. the last character 筆 has the primary meaning of 'brush', which was the primary writing instrument in east asia, so it's understandable why they used 'hard' for the fountain pen (even if they were wet noodles...). The japanese 万年筆 and Korean 만년필 (萬年筆) are same (most likely the word was borrowed from japanese to korean lexicon); it literally means 'ten thousand years brush' but ten thousand years is more of a synonym for 'forever', so in this case the translator was probably alluding to the fact that the metal nibs are much more durable than the brush tips. The first character for japanese and korean looks different but they are same characters; 万 is a simplified version of 萬, which means ten thousand.

[Oldtimer]

In Spanish estilográfica, pluma estilográfica or simply pluma, which means feather as well

But the other meaning for pluma that is "feather", has nothing to do with fountain pens.

[cbaytan]

in Turkish it is called "dolmakalem"

Which means "filling pen".

Pencil translated as "Kurşun Kalem" means "lead pen",

Ballpoint: "Tükenmez kalem" means "interminable pen",

Highlighter : "Keçe kalem" means "felt pen",

Rollerball has no meaning yet, we call it either interminable pen or felt pen as we wish.

 

Edited July 4, 2014 by cbaytan

[william2001]

In Korean it's called 만년필, or the "ten thousand year pen."

 

 

just to add my two cents on east asian translations, I think 鋼 more likely means 'hard' than 'steel' as in the specific alloy, so gold nibbed pens aren't necessarily excluded. the last character 筆 has the primary meaning of 'brush', which was the primary writing instrument in east asia, so it's understandable why they used 'hard' for the fountain pen (even if they were wet noodles...). The japanese 万年筆 and Korean 만년필 (萬年筆) are same (most likely the word was borrowed from japanese to korean lexicon); it literally means 'ten thousand years brush' but ten thousand years is more of a synonym for 'forever', so in this case the translator was probably alluding to the fact that the metal nibs are much more durable than the brush tips. The first character for japanese and korean looks different but they are same characters; 万 is a simplified version of 萬, which means ten thousand.

Yes, and 만년 is "ten thousand years" and 필 should mean "pen." 만년+필=만년필=ten thousand years pen (or brush).

I haven't lived in Korea for a long time, so I may be wrong.

-William S. Park

Edited July 4, 2014 by william2001

[carlos.q]

But the other meaning for pluma that is "feather", has nothing to do with fountain pens.

Not quite. The original meaning for "pluma" was simply feather. So when people started writing with feather quills they were writing literally with a "pluma". Later on, with the development of fountain pens, many people still used the generic "pluma" while others would be more precise and use "pluma fuente", "pluma estilográfica" or just "estilográfica". Today many people use the generic "pluma" to mean any kind of pen, although some may still distinguish between a "pluma fuente" and a "bolígrafo" (ballpoint).

[Oldtimer]

ea

 

Not quite. The original meaning for "pluma" was simply feather. So when people started writing with feather quills they were writing literally with a "pluma". Later on, with the development of fountain pens, many people still used the generic "pluma" while others would be more precise and use "pluma fuente", "pluma estilográfica" or just "estilográfica". Today many people use the generic "pluma" to mean any kind of pen, although some may still distinguish between a "pluma fuente" and a "bolígrafo" (ballpoint).

Yes of course, that is the ETYMOLOGY of the word... when one say s: I am going to write with a "pluma" In Spanish (pen in English), the person never thinks of a feather because that meaning is lost in history, not used any more, dead. That is how the meanings of words change with usage.