This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
un tempo
à suivre sur sa demande

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

clovisse

English translation:

carpet shell clam

Added to glossary by B D Finch
Feb 23, 2012 14:19
12 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

clovisse

French to English Other Food & Drink clams
I am translating a list of seafood from the Mediterranean, including "clovisses" and "palourdes". It's part of a culinary handbook, not a menu.

Certain sources claim that "clovisse" is patois for "palourde", whereas others maintain that they are two different types of clams, with a "clovisse" being slightly smaller with a smoother shell.

Up until now, I've always referred to "palourdes" as clams, but I need to make a distinction here. "Clovisse" exists in the glossary as carpet-shell clam, which is actually what my Larousse says is a "palourde".

If somebody knows their clams, then I would be very grateful for some insider info!

Thanks in advance.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 carpet shell clam
4 +2 carpetshell clam
4 Clam
4 clovisse clam
3 cockle
3 small clam
References
explanation
(banded) carpet shell clam
CLOVISSE, subst. fém.
Change log

Mar 8, 2012 08:44: B D Finch Created KOG entry

Discussion

Melissa McMahon Feb 23, 2012:
Have a stab, and don't be too hard on yourself Translating fish names is hard enough: unpredictable variations either side of the Atlantic and the equator, local names, periodic stabs at standardisation that only catch on enough to confuse everyone again, calling not just the same thing different names, but different things the same names. But having translated several cookbooks and a food encyclopedia, I consider clams to be a special category of hell all on their own. Latin names, pictures, Wikipedia, all good suggestions to do your best with. But don't lose sleep if you don't get a definitive answer, because with clams there often just ISN'T one, and if you follow these tips, take your colleagues suggestions and refs into consideration and take a probabilistic stab, you will have performed due diligence and that's as good as it gets with clams.
writeaway Feb 23, 2012:
not really a clam but saw that it's not a clam but it looks like one and calling it a shell in English wouldn't really work, would it? do we eat shells?
SJLD Feb 23, 2012:
http://books.google.lu/books?id=wdPpKMZiZGYC&pg=PA196&lpg=PA...
SJLD Feb 23, 2012:
My nifty Sopexa/FIOM seafood book (don't leave home without it lol) says "palourdes" are Tapes pullastra or Tapes decussata = grooved carpet shell. Synonym for Ruditapes decussatus.
Clams are "praires" - Venus verrucosa and cockles are "coques" - Cerastoderma edule. Neither are found in the Mediterranean.

http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/5736/
liz askew Feb 23, 2012:
I am beginning to feel sorry for this little clam:)
writeaway Feb 23, 2012:
@Alison-oops my bad but the word culinary says it all. It's for food not a scientific paper. So going to far into the genus species thing isn't really necessary. It's a type of clam.
Sean Sheahan Feb 23, 2012:
But the taste is different to 'American' "clams", so lets be proud of our smaller carpet shells and give them the voice they deserve on the menu ;-)) (incidentally this would be important for a visiting American tourist IMO, as a typical east coast US clam can be 10-12 cm wide, so I wouldn't mislead the customer...)
Alison Sparks (X) Feb 23, 2012:
@ writeaway The asker says specifically it's not for a menu, but a culinary handbook. So maybe it does matter. It seems that this same handbook actually refers to palourdes elsewhere, hence the need for a distinction between the two, I suppose.
writeaway Feb 23, 2012:
it's just for a menu so getting too scientific makes no sense/serves no purpose. As Sheila said and references have shown, it's a carpet shell clam. Imo that's enough for a menu.
liz askew Feb 23, 2012:
Trouble is that there is more than one type of "clovisse", i.e. clovisse jaune/blonde
Sean Sheahan Feb 23, 2012:
Hi all, IMO you absolutely need the Latin name, just like with mushrooms. That said, have a look at these refs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venerupis_decussata
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=24615...
BrigitteHilgner Feb 23, 2012:
With Alison www.linternaute.com/dictionnaire/fr/definition/clovisse/
clovisse, f
coquillage comestible appelé aussi palourde
Several other websites (in French and German) state that "clovisse" is the word used in Provence / the south of France while "palourde" is the word used at the Atlantic coast.
www.gourmeteria.de/gourmetlexikon-clovisse.html
I also found several websites giving "clam" as the translation of both clovisse and palourde.
Alison Sparks (X) Feb 23, 2012:
Lara's right. Try and get a Latin name out of the client.
Alison Sparks (X) Feb 23, 2012:
@Catherine But it does say that palourdes is the vernacular and clovisse specific to Provence.
Lara Barnett Feb 23, 2012:
Cockles/clams Without meaning to add to the confusion, I have found this glossary which lists Coutoye as a regional word (somewhere) for all three - Palourde ou Clovisse (coquillage). I would get more information from the client.
Catharine Cellier-Smart Feb 23, 2012:
I find Wikipedia in French rather confusing on this subject. Lots of latin names but few vernacular names.
Alison Sparks (X) Feb 23, 2012:
Have you tried Wikipedia in French?
Sheila Wilson Feb 23, 2012:
I despair, personally But the Google images for "carpet-shell clam" look good and I've found a couple of convincing references when searching for clovisse + carpetshell
Alison Sparks (X) Feb 23, 2012:
Larousse encyclopedia gives this as the mediterranean word for clam and uses it or palourdes simply to mean clams. Perhaps it is specific to SE France or does it have a catalan connection?

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

carpet shell clam

Searching the Latin names "Venerupis/Tapes pullastra " or "Venerupis/Tapes aureas" in FR and EN Google:

http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/idaad/disease.aspx?t=n&id=32
"Venerupis aurea (Tapes aurea) Natural occurrence Principal parasites observed in clams, Ruditapes decussatus (L.), Ruditapes phillippinarium (Adams et Reeve), Venerupis pullastra (Montagu) and Venerupis aureus (Gmelin), from the Huelva coast (S.W. Spain).
Venerupis pullastra (Tapes pullastra) Experimental demonstration Cross-infection with Perkinsus atlanticus in Ruditapes decussatus, Ruditapes philippinarum and Venerupis pullastra.
Venerupis pullastra (Tapes pullastra) Natural occurrence Principal parasites observed in clams, Ruditapes decussatus (L.), Ruditapes phillippinarium (Adams et Reeve), Venerupis pullastra (Montagu) and Venerupis aureus (Gmelin), from the Huelva coast (S.W. Spain)."

www.marinbreton.com/medias/118.pdf
" CLOVISSE (Venerupis pullastra) ..."

http://gerard.schwinte.free.fr/noms_fruitsdemer.htm

pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf0002185 - Traduire cette page
"The clam species Ruditapes decussatus (grooved carpet shell), Venerupis pullastra (pullet carpet shell) ..."

So it seems that it all depends whether you have an Axminster, Wilton or shag pile clam.
Peer comment(s):
agree writeaway : quite researchable. just takes a bit of time. Sheila had mentioned this is the Dbox as well and I found it too, as did Sean. all at the same time (but Sheila was way ahead of us)
4 mins
Thanks writeaway
agree liz askew : Got it now, looking at all the references!
8 mins
Thanks Liz.
agree SJLD
2 hrs
Thanks
neutral Catharine Cellier-Smart : while all 'clovisse' are carpet shell clams, not all carpet shell clams are 'clovisse'. The 'Venerupis pullastra' corresponds to the French 'palourde'. However given the context, 'carpet shell clam' is probably the best catch-all term here.
15 hrs
Thanks Catherine. See Mellissa's comment in the discussion.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
19 mins

cockle

My Harraps dictionary translates this as a cockle.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2012-02-23 14:42:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

although "cockle" is sometimes translated into French as "coque"

see also

http://tinyurl.com/6scaq37

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 42 mins (2012-02-23 15:02:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Have you seen this? http://www.moluscosriasbaixas.com/variedadesf.html

Based on the given latin names "palourde" would actually be "pullet carpet-shell" in English and clovisse can be XXXX carpet-shell depending on which latin name you take. However I've seen that some latin names the above document applies to "clovisse" are sometimes translated as clams. e.g. short neck clam
Peer comment(s):
neutral Alison Sparks (X) : my Harraps doesn't! Larousse offers just clam.
7 mins
The Harraps is an old one. My Robert and Collins also gives clam.
neutral B D Finch : Cockles are a specific (and different) type of clam.
2 hrs
hence my note
Something went wrong...
40 mins

small clam

www.richard-binns.co.uk/pdf-file/glossary.pdf
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Clovisse small clam. Cocherelle type of mushroom. Cochon pig. Cochonailles pork products. Coco coconut; also small white bean. Cocotte (en) cooking pot ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 41 mins (2012-02-23 15:00:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

www.planetepuydedome.com/.../1308-1-your-menu-in-english-pd...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Clovisse. Small clam. Lançon. Sand eel. Clovisse jaune. Small yellow clam ... Palourde. Clam. Encornet. Squid. Perche. Perch. Escargot de mer. Small shellfish ..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 44 mins (2012-02-23 15:04:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

www.bbc.co.uk/food/clams
American hard shell clams – large clams with a thick, heavy shell. Palourdes (also known as Manilla clams) – clams with a pretty, marbled shell that are ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2012-02-23 15:07:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

glossary of menu terms lists it as "small clam"

http://www.richard-binns.co.uk/pdf-file/glossary.pdf
Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : not really a name of a clam/won't matter -it's just for a menu, not a scientific study
25 mins
but there is more than one type of clovisse/in that case why have the Latin name on a menu!!
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

carpetshell clam

Based on the distribution of the species in Mediterranean waters, I'd go with the carpetshell clam, you might have a look at this other ref, in addition to my discussion entry.
So, it appears clovisse= palourde (commun)= carpetshell clam
(ok, I love my seafood!!)
Reference:

http://www.thefishsociety.co.uk/fish-shop_byname_Clams_0_4.html

Peer comment(s):
neutral B D Finch : Almost simultaneous! However, I think it should be two words.
4 mins
Hi Barbara, yeah, that was pretty cool. You're probably right on 2 words - Ghits rule!
agree writeaway : Also agree with your comment in the Dbox. This is the distinction that has to be made. The clams in the US are entirely different. (sigh.....)
31 mins
Thanks writeaway, getting hungry already here...
agree SJLD
2 hrs
Thanks SJ
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Clam

At the end of the day, and following all the discussion boxes. I would go with clam because, as Liz Askew says, "there is more than one type of "clovisse", i.e. clovisse jaune/blonde", and as "yellow" and "white" clams exist, I would go with this and possibly put a translators note to the client explaining the issues. However, I am sure that this is it.
Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : not enough info. it's a type of clam, which many of us found (see all the carpet shell answers/refs). (colour doesn't identify it)
5 mins
Something went wrong...
18 hrs

clovisse clam

Seriously. Keep the French name and identify it as a clam. Do the same with palourde.

There are some 8,000 species of marine bivalves. There are not enough single-word names to go round. Chances are good that more than one or two of them are sold and consumed as clovisses, so use the market name.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day4 hrs (2012-02-24 18:32:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

When it comes to food ingredients, Latin names from Linnaean taxonomy won't get you very far. Think of all the common names used in English for varieties of "peppers": cayenne, paprika, pim(i)ento, jalapeño, serrano, guajillo, shishito, Espelette, and so on. Every last one of these is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum. We borrow foreign words to name them.
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

38 mins
Reference:

explanation

http://www.saveursdethau.com/les-specialites-locales/coquill...
Le bassin de Thau est le plus grand gisement naturel de France pour les palourdes et les clovisses.

.................
A Sète, la clovisse désigne une palourde de petite taille. On la consomme rarement crue, quoiqu'il soit tout à fait possible de le faire.

On la réserve plus particulièrement aux préparations à base de pâtes.

La palourde, quant à elle, trône toujours au sommet d'un plateau de coquillage digne de ce nom.

Mais il existe pour la cuisiner de nombreuses recettes.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 38 mins (2012-02-23 14:58:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this site obviously differentiates between the two
Peer comments on this reference comment:
neutral writeaway : none of these refs show/back the English translation
26 mins
so what?
Something went wrong...
1 hr
Reference:

(banded) carpet shell clam

Tapes rhomboides

Gattungsname: lat. tapes = Teppich — Artname: von lat. rhombus = Rhombus, Raute (ein ebenes Viereck, bei dem alle vier Seiten gleich lang sind)
engl.: Banded Carpet Shell — frz.: Palourde rose, Clovisse — span.: Almeja rubia — baskisch: Txirla Zerredaduna — port.: Amêijoa-vermelha — norweg.: venusskjell — holl.: Gevlamde tapijtschelp
http://www.schnecken-und-muscheln.de/galerie/galerie_venerid...

Characteristics:

The banded carpet shell may reach a diameter of 6-7 cm. The shell has numerous fine concentric ridges. It can be difficult to distinguish the different members of this family solely from pictures. The shell is usually pale beige with light brown bands radiating from the top of the shell. The interior is white, often with a pink tint.
http://www.seawater.no/fauna/mollusca/rhomboides.html (with pic)
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
Reference:

CLOVISSE, subst. fém.

This won't settle the issue of translation, but it seems to be a regional term.

CLOVISSE, subst. fém.
Région. (Provence). Petit mollusque comestible à coque bivalve (nom régional de la palourde*). [...]
Étymol. et Hist. 1611 clouïsse (Cotgr., noté comme mot marseillais), attest. isolée; 1838 clovis (Stendhal, Mémoires d'un touriste, t. 2, p. 386); 1846 clovisse (A. Dumas Père, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, t. 1, p. 48). Empr. au prov. clauvisso « id. », attesté au xviies. (Reynier de Briançon ds Mistral), altération de clausisso (xviies., D. Sage, ibid.), dér. de claus, part. passé de claure (clore*).
http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/clovisse
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search