remedial mud

English translation: therapeutic mud

08:27 Jun 2, 2012
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Marketing - Cosmetics, Beauty / UK English
English term or phrase: remedial mud
This is in a cosmetics/beauty products marketing text and it sounds very odd to me: not something that would make me want to buy cosmetic or beauty products that claimed to contain it.

There are lots of Google hits for "remedial mud" (1,160). However, they all seem to be from East European websites/sources and I suspect that an East European translator is guilty of having coined the phrase as a word for word translation from their mother tongue and that it then got reused by other translators and marketing people who were also not native speakers of English. The phrase "remedial minerals" also occurs in the text and googling that also produces a high proportion of obviously East European and Chinese results.

I wonder whether it is safe to substitute the word "healing" for "remedial" in both instances or whether there is some subtle difference.
B D Finch
France
Local time: 17:30
Selected answer:therapeutic mud
Explanation:
is also a possibility,
such as from the Dead Sea, for example

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 51 mins (2012-06-02 09:19:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To answer your actual question, I agree that 'remedial mud' does not seem to be a term used in EN-speaking countries

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2012-06-02 12:44:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.ecamellia.com/DEAD_SEA-k94-0--default.html
Selected response from:

Melanie Nassar
United States
Local time: 18:30
Grading comment
Thanks Melanie
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +1therapeutic mud
Melanie Nassar
4curative, medicinal, healing, sanatory
Ildiko Santana


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
therapeutic mud


Explanation:
is also a possibility,
such as from the Dead Sea, for example

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 51 mins (2012-06-02 09:19:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To answer your actual question, I agree that 'remedial mud' does not seem to be a term used in EN-speaking countries

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2012-06-02 12:44:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.ecamellia.com/DEAD_SEA-k94-0--default.html

Melanie Nassar
United States
Local time: 18:30
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks Melanie

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charles Davis: This expression is quite widely used and I think it is probably the best option. See e.g. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/726217/The-madonna-of-Murc...
3 hrs
  -> Thanks for the link, as for me, I should have included a link for our own local source, will add one now
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
curative, medicinal, healing, sanatory


Explanation:
One definition of the adjective "remedial" in medicine is "given or intended as a remedy or cure".
"Remedial" is also used in education, with similar meaning: "intended to correct or improve deficient skills in a specific subject: remedial reading"
To answer your question, "I wonder whether it is safe to substitute the word "healing" for "remedial" in both instances or whether there is some subtle difference" - I believe that it would be safe to use any of these synonyms:
curative - medicinal - healing - sanatory (sanative).
I think there is no significant difference between these. However, I would not recommend using "therapeutic" as an alternative in this context, since it is commonly used when referring to traditional medicinal *treatment* methods, while "remedial" typically refers to home remedies, i.e. natural, homeopathic cures. (Homeopathy, also known as homeopathic medicine, is an alternative medical system). Similarly to the difference between administering medication (therapy) vs. using herbs (remedy).
Just my 2 cents. :)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 days (2012-06-09 18:29:34 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Dear Asker,
With reference to your comment on my suggestions, please note that "sanatory" and "sanitary" should not be confused. The latter has nothing to do with your original question. (If you were correct, the institution where patients are treated for their ailments would be called sanitorium and not sanatorium.)
The synonyms I have offered above are all relevant and correct (remedial - curative - medicinal - healing - sanatory - sanative). "Sanitary," however, has an entirely different meaning. The following definitions are from Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (based on the 2nd edition of the Random House Dictionary of the English Language).

sanative : having the power to heal; curative (p.1698)

sanatory : favorable for health; curative; healing (LL sanatorius / healthful, equiv. to L sana(re) to heal (deriv. of sanus / sane) + -torius / -tory) (p.1698)

sanitary : of or pertaining to health or the conditions affecting health; esp. with reference to cleanliness, precautions against disease, etc. Synonyms: clean, germ-free, unpolluted, antiseptic, hygienic. (p.1700)

Ildiko Santana
United States
Local time: 09:30
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: I know what "remedial" means' the point of my question was that the phrase seemed wrong. N.B. sanative or sanitary, but not "sanatory".

Asker: Thanks Ildiko. I think that "sanatory" may be US, but not UK English, though we certainly have the words sanative and sanatorium in UK English.

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search