tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6588247216777605704.post833536281448535732..comments2023-04-05T08:04:07.514-04:00Comments on Bryn Mawr Classical Review: 2017.09.11Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6588247216777605704.post-24403326067342386732017-09-08T10:24:06.010-04:002017-09-08T10:24:06.010-04:00"More distracting, however, is Verity’s incon..."More distracting, however, is Verity’s inconsistent use of abusive and gendered language. Translations of κυνῶπις and κύων are notable in this regard. In light of his thoroughgoing commitment to literal translation, one expects Verity to translate κυνῶπις in the same manner by which he translates so many other compound adjectives—“dog-faced.” Instead, Verity renders κυνῶπις into English variously as “bitch,” “shameless trollop,” and “brazen bitch.” This singular departure from the Greek is perplexing. The addition of “trollop” and “brazen,” neither of which can be traced back to the Greek, is inconsistent with Verity’s stated methodology. The case of κύων is similar. In Homer, κύων is applied equally to male and female characters and is used as a term of abuse by characters of both genders. Yet, Verity’s translation is divided strictly along gender lines. Each time κύων is applied to a male character, Verity translates “dog.” The four times it applies to female characters, however, Verity gives “hussy,” “brazen hussies,” and “shameless hussy” (twice). It is difficult to understand how “dog” is not a more straightforward translation of κύων."<br /><br />I haven't seen the translation but I wonder why these choices are all that objectionable. Terms of abuse (in all languages) are notoriously hard to translate because they are so idiomatic, and an additional problem is the "etymological fallacy." Just because the etymology of κυνῶπις is transparent ("dog-face") doesn't tell us that's what it means in everyday discourse; compare for instance German Handschuh (hand-shoe, but a glove) or Hochzeit (high time, but a wedding) and you start to see the problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com