inzet

English translation: intention or objective

11:40 Jul 25, 2016
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - History / reader for university course on history
Dutch term or phrase: inzet
my context:

"Dit voorwoord van maar enkele pagina’s geeft toch een theorie en **inzet** van de biografie, die kort moet zijn, iets over de tijd moet zeggen en mensen ziet als ‘too important to be treated as mere symptoms of the past.

De laatste bladzijden (7-21) geven de **inzet** van dit boek (onder de duidelijke tussenkopjes ‘Different Global Versions of History’; ‘‘Rise’ of the Discipline of History – a Tale too Triumphantly Told?’; ‘West and East in Historiography’; ‘Modern History in Perspective’): er wordt duidelijk uitgelegd dat er meer opvattingen van geschiedenis mogelijk zijn, dat het niet een lange weg van Herodotus naar Ranke is."

OK, I know Dutch people like to use the word "inzet" in many weird and wonderful ways, but I am drawing a blank here. This is what I have in my main glossary: http://beijer.uk/screenshots/inzet-(my-own-glossary-entry).p...
Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:44
English translation:intention or objective
Explanation:
Going out from the text rather than meanings of 'inzet'.

'... is dedicated to ...' also comes to mind, but does not fit
the sentences so well.
Selected response from:

Jennifer Barnett
France
Local time: 16:44
Grading comment
Probably fine, especially given the ambiguity of the Dutch.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +6intention or objective
Jennifer Barnett
4 +2scope
John Holloway
4drive
Arend H Bure (X)
3opener
Kirsten Bodart
3insight
Andrew Howitt
2Introduction?
Willemina Hagenauw


Discussion entries: 66





  

Answers


25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Introduction?


Explanation:
Zouden ze "inleiding" kunnen bedoelen? Just a guess!

Willemina Hagenauw
Local time: 15:44
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
drive


Explanation:
Very interesting and I was not a wear my language could create so much different meanings for this small word :). But I have say in this case "drive" come the closest. So " your drive must be to make a short biography etc "

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Note added at 30 mins (2016-07-25 12:11:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Your http://beijer.uk/screenshots/inzet-(my-own-glossary-entry).p... is pretty good. You could use all other words that are on the same line as "drive"

Arend H Bure (X)
Germany
Local time: 16:44
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
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57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
intention or objective


Explanation:
Going out from the text rather than meanings of 'inzet'.

'... is dedicated to ...' also comes to mind, but does not fit
the sentences so well.

Jennifer Barnett
France
Local time: 16:44
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Probably fine, especially given the ambiguity of the Dutch.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Jennifer!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kitty Brussaard: Indeed, possible options with which I can only agree (see my first D-box entry) :-)
57 mins

agree  Lianne van de Ven: Komt het dichtst bij 'inzet'.
1 hr

agree  Nils De Jonghe: Either option here works.
1 hr

agree  Tina Vonhof (X): This answers the question: Why are you writing a biography of this particular person?
11 hrs

agree  Richard Purdom: 'objective' or 'area covered by', good by me
22 hrs

agree  Kirsten Bodart
1 day 2 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
opener


Explanation:
Just an idea. Inzet as a 'set the scene', unless the latter works better. But only you know, as you have more context than the one sentence.

Kirsten Bodart
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:44
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
insight


Explanation:
could it just be a Dutch bastardisation of the English word "insight"? It would certainly fit the context.

Andrew Howitt
Netherlands
Local time: 16:44
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
scope


Explanation:
None of the dictionary meanings of 'inzet' seem to fit the flow, style and meaning of the target sentence as well as 'scope', a term which does not surprise the reader in this context and requires no special meaning to make instant sense. Such clarity and simplicity are important when the term in question is being used in a 'history reader'.
'Scope' also fits the meaning implied in the second mention of 'inzet'.
(See also the 'example sentences' provided below and the web reference - which consists of search results on the scope of books being reflected in their 'front matter', chapter headings, etc.)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2016-07-26 01:19:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

...I am also not against Jennifer's 'intention', nor Andrew's 'bastardisation' (or transliteration?) theory - but when I put these two together I think the author would be grateful for 'scope' (. . or should it be 'content', or 'proposition'? See? 'Scope' is a handy hold-all!)

Example sentence(s):
  • This foreword covers the theory and scope of the biography...which sees people as more than symptoms of the past.
  • The foreword describes the scope of the book: that history has many aspects.

    https://www.google.nl/search?q=scope+of+book+reflected+in+chapter+headomngs+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&ei=YrGWV-TEDuLj8wf
John Holloway
Netherlands
Local time: 16:44
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: pls note that it is about the <i>inzet</i> of biography in general, not about "the scope of <i>a</i> biography" or "the scope of <i>a</i> book" (as per your examples)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Richard Purdom: after reading your db entry, this also makes sense
10 hrs
  -> thanks

agree  freekfluweel: I like this suggestion!
13 hrs
  -> thanks
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