ransakelse/ransake

English translation: search

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Norwegian term or phrase:ransakelse/ransake
English translation:search
Entered by: jeffrey engberg

09:08 Dec 3, 2013
Norwegian to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents - Law (general) / police
Norwegian term or phrase: ransakelse/ransake
Can we use the word ransack for a police search? It works in norwegian (ransakelsesordre..)
and evenin Old English:
Ransake v1, v2 (norr rannsaka, av rann 'hus', jf III sake 'søke') undersøke, lete igjennom
r- et hus, en person / r- sin samvittighet
Origin:
1200–50; Middle English ransaken < Old Norse rannsaka to search, examine (for evidence of crime), equivalent to rann house + saka search (variant of soekja to seek)

But is it a correct in formal Modern English? Or should one only use search/search-and-seizure?
jeffrey engberg
Norway
Local time: 20:22
search
Explanation:
Search would be the best option here.

If, however, you wanted to say, for example, that the police turned the place upside down and left it in a mess, then you could say they ransacked the place. Rummage tends to be used more for having a good look through things in a disorganised kind of way, e.g. rummaging around a person's loft.
Selected response from:

Carole Hognestad
Local time: 20:22
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4search
Carole Hognestad
4 +1search
eodd
3(stop suspects) search & seize
Adrian MM. (X)
Summary of reference entries provided
is conditioned upon the context
Charlesp

Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
search


Explanation:
Search would be the best option here.

If, however, you wanted to say, for example, that the police turned the place upside down and left it in a mess, then you could say they ransacked the place. Rummage tends to be used more for having a good look through things in a disorganised kind of way, e.g. rummaging around a person's loft.

Carole Hognestad
Local time: 20:22
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 46

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Donna Stevens: After a search warrant has been issued, the police conduct a search of the premises.
22 mins
  -> Thank you Donna

agree  brigidm
58 mins
  -> Thank you Brigid

agree  Charles Ek: You can search high and low, ransack every room and rummage around in general, but you will not find a better word to seize on in this instance.
2 hrs
  -> Indeed!

agree  Michele Fauble
8 hrs
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
search


Explanation:
See the Oxford English dictionary ref below for the definition of ransack.
A Kriminalomsorgens utdanningsenter textbook I have gives search as the translation of ransake/ransaking and search warrant as the translation of ransakingsordre.
I don't think you should add seizure unless you know that something or things have been found.


    Reference: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ransack...
eodd
Local time: 19:22
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 55

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Per Bergvall: Absolutely.
1 min
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(stop suspects) search & seize


Explanation:
More context needed of the target.

Ransack is what the Vikings used to do a thousand years ago around Europe, North Africa, Canada and - up to the 13th Century - at Lairgs off the Scottish coast.

Rummaging for evidence is indeed part of the police op. and can be described - derisively usually by Defence Counsel - though, in the UK, is not officially labelled as such.



Example sentence(s):
  • For å ransake deg må politiet som hovedregel ta deg ”på fersk gjerning”, eller ha en sterk (begrunnet) www.ung.no/oss/kriminalitet/29446.html ‎
Adrian MM. (X)
Local time: 20:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 96
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Reference comments


1 day 39 mins
Reference: is conditioned upon the context

Reference information:
It certainly is not rummage, but could it be "ransack" - as in "the police had a search warrant and they ransacked the house."

Buy the way, (note esp to Tom), is "a seize" necessarily included in the term? -- could be, but isn't it simply a right to search?

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Note added at 1 day42 mins (2013-12-04 09:50:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

misplaced -- was supposed to go in "Discussion" (ie not here)

Charlesp
Sweden
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 14
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