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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

معدن أصيل

English translation: true Arab (fine upbringing)

19:28 Oct 23, 2013
Arabic to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Arabic term or phrase: معدن أصيل
لأنك من معدن عربي أصيل لم يصبه الصدأ كما أصاب غيرك من العلاه عبدة المال...الخ

this is obviously a figure of speech, how can we translate it best to suit the rest of the extended metaphor

thnx for help
Mandy K
Local time: 23:52
English translation:true Arab (fine upbringing)
Explanation:
(There is no معدن أصيل but a معدن نفيس , precious metal, when it comes to metals, opposite alloys أشابة. A pure metal is معدن نقي).

The idiom (معدنك أصيل) is usually used in praise of someone's manners, commeding the parents and the person's lineage in terms of ethics and morals, being of good upbrining. The alloy أشابة part is used in the variation of شائبة, e.g. فلان لا تشوبه شائبة , again in terms of manners.

So, it is not about the lineage per se, but about how refined they are.
"You are a true Arab, unstained by the glamour of riches."
Similarly, 'You are a true Englishman ...'; that is, the person reflects the best moral traits in his/her culture.

الناس في الدنيا معادن - Qualities of men compare to the properties of metals and minerals: pure, mixed, poisonous, solid, fragile, and so on.
When we say العِرق دسّاس , note that again we compare lodes or veins in minerals to veins in blood. It is not about race or ethnicity but more about manners. e.g. 'You are a true gentleman.'

Hope this helps.
Selected response from:

Randa Farhat
Lebanon
Local time: 01:52
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2pure/noble Arab origin
Doaa Alnajjar
4 +2Of genuine Arab origins
Fida Malki (X)
4 +1true Arab (fine upbringing)
Randa Farhat
5Originel Arab parentage
Mohamed Hosni
4noble/ blue- blooded Arab traits
Saleh Dardeer
4noble element
Samaa Zeitoun


  

Answers


28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
pure/noble Arab origin


Explanation:
or any of the variates in the reference, although these are the most relevant.


    Reference: http://www.almaany.com/home.php?language=arabic&word=%D8%A3%...
Doaa Alnajjar
Canada
Local time: 16:52
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Awad Balaish
11 mins
  -> Many thanks :)
agree  Muhammad Said
1 hr
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Of genuine Arab origins


Explanation:
Because you are of genuine Arab/Arabic origins which have not been tarnished by....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2013-10-23 19:57:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry it should read: which have not been tarnished as... so and so...have.

Fida Malki (X)
Local time: 01:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Awad Balaish: Dear Fida, genuine arab, only, what do you think?
20 mins
  -> Thanks Awadh! I'm afraid saying "genuine Arab" alone won't really work in this particular context.
agree  Spiridon: Yes
15 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
noble/ blue- blooded Arab traits


Explanation:
It may run as follows
...because you have/ enjoy/ are previliged with noble/ blue- blooded Arab traits that are not affected by....


Saleh Dardeer
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 59

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Doaa Alnajjar: blue-blooded is used for the British Royal Family or the aristocratic class, even if it means noble in the dic.
9 hrs
  -> thanks for your input! it is used for noble social classes not only the BRF and this is the figurative meaning of معدن أصيل i.e. for the noble people that uphold the best qualities and that is usually associated, in Arab literature, with the elite & free
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
noble element


Explanation:
...

Samaa Zeitoun
United States
Local time: 17:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
معدن أصيل = أصيل التربية والأخلاق
true Arab (fine upbringing)


Explanation:
(There is no معدن أصيل but a معدن نفيس , precious metal, when it comes to metals, opposite alloys أشابة. A pure metal is معدن نقي).

The idiom (معدنك أصيل) is usually used in praise of someone's manners, commeding the parents and the person's lineage in terms of ethics and morals, being of good upbrining. The alloy أشابة part is used in the variation of شائبة, e.g. فلان لا تشوبه شائبة , again in terms of manners.

So, it is not about the lineage per se, but about how refined they are.
"You are a true Arab, unstained by the glamour of riches."
Similarly, 'You are a true Englishman ...'; that is, the person reflects the best moral traits in his/her culture.

الناس في الدنيا معادن - Qualities of men compare to the properties of metals and minerals: pure, mixed, poisonous, solid, fragile, and so on.
When we say العِرق دسّاس , note that again we compare lodes or veins in minerals to veins in blood. It is not about race or ethnicity but more about manners. e.g. 'You are a true gentleman.'

Hope this helps.

Randa Farhat
Lebanon
Local time: 01:52
Native speaker of: Arabic
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lamis Maalouf: Excellent explanation! I agree on this one for sure.
10 hrs
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Originel Arab parentage


Explanation:
Originel Arab descent ,relationship,parentage.


Mohamed Hosni
Morocco
Local time: 23:52
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
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