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This question was closed without grading. Reason: Answer found elsewhere
Nov 5, 2016 14:06
7 yrs ago
11 viewers *
French term

ponctué

French to English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
This term appears in a letter of recommendation for a medical student applying for a residency program, specifically, in the section of the letter that concerns the student's procedural skills. The sentence in question is as follows: "Elle a une bonne capacité d'analyse, est soucieuse du moindre détail, est calme et ponctuée". Any help would be appreciated. TIA
Proposed translations (English)
2 +1 meticulous
3 eloquent
2 accurate

Discussion

ph-b (X) Nov 6, 2016:
About ‘articulé.e’ as used in Canada I realize this is irrelevant since the answer to medeast’s question has now been found, but just for the sake/pleasure of discussing words and how to use them, Termium disagrees with ‘Francine du Canada’ and with applying ‘articulé.e’ to a person. This word should not be used in Canadian French to describe someone who is articulate according to this entry: http://bdl.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/bdl/gabarit_bdl.asp?id=3548. Incidentally, the same applies to French from France, but that’s even more irrelevant!
medeast (asker) Nov 5, 2016:
@ Charles Davis Yes, she does mean "articulate".
Charles Davis Nov 5, 2016:
Does seem to be Canadian This is from a Canadian contributor ("Francine du Canada") who referred to Queen Letizia of Spain as "articulée" and was met with a joke about dolls from someone in France who clearly didn't understand what she meant:

"Une langue, plusieures cultures et différents usages; chez nous, une personne articulée est une personne qui s’exprime bien, elle a les idées claires, le verbe facile et livrera facilement un message clair, précis, concis et compris de tous."
http://www.noblesseetroyautes.com/les-souverains-espagnols-p...

Does she mean "articulate"?
Charles Davis Nov 5, 2016:
Well fancy that A quick search has just thrown up the following:

"Etes-vous une personne articulée qui sait prendre les commandes ?
[...]
Articulé !!
Pétard ce doit être une expression québecoise ça !!"
https://fr.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201304301526...
medeast (asker) Nov 5, 2016:
Answer from the author of the letter I just heard from the person who wrote the letter. He said that "ponctuée" is the wrong word. It should be "articulée". Some of the ideas floated by the posters for my question are pretty clever and insightful. Thanks again. Regards,
medeast (asker) Nov 5, 2016:
Comment from asker Some good ideas have been proposed here, but there are too many possibilities. I will contact the author for clarification and post the answer here. I thank all of you for your input. Greatly appreciated.
writeaway Nov 5, 2016:
Until we hear more from asker all anyone can do it guess.
Charles Davis Nov 5, 2016:
C'est possible Un logiciel ROC pourrait transformer pondérée en ponctuée : dér > ctu.
mchd Nov 5, 2016:
pondérée Je rejoindrais volontiers cet avis : être une personne calme et pondérée.
polyglot45 Nov 5, 2016:
I would vote for "ponctuelle" though it could be "pondérée" - she is cool, calm and collected
writeaway Nov 5, 2016:
highly skilled in punctuation of course! what else.....
Sara Korin Nov 5, 2016:
Ponctué(e) comes from the verb ponctuer. The definition of ponctuer is: diviser(un texte) au moyen de la ponctution (source from Le Robert Illustré, 2014). So I would say it is related to the capability of the punctuation of the person.
writeaway Nov 5, 2016:
I agree with Charles It could well be a mistake for the word ponctuel. At least that makes sense and fits the context. Asker should ask the client. Guessing is really pointless
p
Jennifer Levey Nov 5, 2016:
Like Charles, I'm not sure enough to post an answer. But I suspect it may mean "focus(s)ed". She keeps her attention directed towards the 'point' at hand, impervious to distractions.
Debora Blake Nov 5, 2016:
Is this perhaps Canadian French? A person in FR French wouldn't be "ponctuée", unless they were covered in commas and exclamation points. ;-)
Charles Davis Nov 5, 2016:
To me it intuitively suggests steady, methodical or well organised. Punctuation, after all, is a instrument for clarifying syntax, introducing pauses in a stream of text so that it makes sense. If you described someone as "unpunctuated" you might mean that everything comes out in a disorganised rush.

But this is a guess, and I don't like posting guesses as answers.
Verginia Ophof Nov 5, 2016:
sticks to the point ? Stays on track ?
Charles Davis Nov 5, 2016:
Someone may know this use of "ponctué(e)"; I don't. I wonder whether it's a mistake for "ponctuelle", meaning either punctual or meticulous, which would fit, I think. But one shouldn't assume something's a typo unless it doesn't make sense as it is.

Proposed translations

+1
1 hr

meticulous

I think, after all, that this is worth suggesting. If this is an error for "ponctuelle", this is the meaning, I think: the first definition in the Trésor:

"Qui accomplit scrupuleusement et avec exactitude les tâches, les obligations qui lui sont dévolues"
http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/ponctuel

If, on the other hand, it really is an idiosyncratic use of "ponctué(e)", my intuitive sense of what that would mean leads me to the same meaning, or to something in the same area of meaning. Punctuation, it seems to me, implies steadiness and attention to detail.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Francois Boye : 'une personne n'est pas ponctuée', un point c'est tout !
30 mins
C'est vrai ; ce serait un usage bizarre. Selon ma suggestion, c'est une coquille.
neutral writeaway : this can't be more than a guess /seems guess was based more on hope than anything else, as it turns out. /it was fairly clear it was the wrong word.
1 hr
A bit more than a mere guess, I think. There is an argument behind it, though speculative, I admit. // "ponctuée" was and is bizarre, and until we heard back I was pretty sure it must be a typo. How we get from there to "articulée" I have no idea. Canada.
agree Terry Richards : I know it's only a guess but it's a damn good one and it fits the context. I would bet money on this answer.
1 hr
Thanks a lot, Terry
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

accurate

I would say that this can be one of the solutions because it is very close to the meaning of the verb ponctuer in French. Accurate describes a person who doesn't make mistakes, who is exact and precise.
Reference:

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/accurate?s=t

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/accurate

Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : so no longer an ace in punctuation? in any case this can only be a guess until we have more info
58 mins
Something went wrong...
21 hrs

eloquent

suggestion
Something went wrong...
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