Nischendasein

English translation: led a niche existence

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Nischendasein
English translation:led a niche existence
Entered by: Andrea Garfield-Barkworth

07:06 Oct 9, 2015
German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Journalism / Food Article
German term or phrase: Nischendasein
"Laktose- und glutenfreie sowie vegane Nahrungsmittel fristeten jahrelang ein Nischendasein - inzwischen steigt die Nachfrage so stark, dass die Produkte in jedem besser sortierten zu finden sind."

From an article about the nutrition industry. I can't make head or tail of "Nischendasein". Well obviously it's niche something, but the "Dasein" part of the word is utterly bizarre and makes no sense at all in this context. I found "nicheness" as a translation for "Nischendasein" in the normally pretty decent dict.cc, but that is utter nonsense here. Is it just niche market or niche group or something? But then why use "Dasein" for that? It's just mystifying. TIA for your help.
Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
Local time: 01:52
led a niche existence
Explanation:
This is what I would use.
Selected response from:

Andrea Garfield-Barkworth
Germany
Local time: 13:52
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5niche market/product
philgoddard
3 +5led a niche existence
Andrea Garfield-Barkworth
3relegated to the sidelines
Michael Martin, MA


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
niche market/product


Explanation:
Dasein means entity, and that is a possible translation, but product/market is more common.

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Note added at 26 mins (2015-10-09 07:33:03 GMT)
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I don't think it's bizarre - it sounds quite elegant to me.

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Note added at 28 mins (2015-10-09 07:34:58 GMT)
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Though there is a word missing after "sortierten", probably "Supermarkt" or something.


    Reference: http://dict.leo.org/ende/index_de.html#/search=dasein&search...
philgoddard
United States
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrigitteHilgner: I'd opt for "niche market".
24 mins

agree  Stephen Sadie: niche market fits nicely, also with you on the missing word
25 mins

agree  Ramey Rieger (X): Jawohl!
28 mins

agree  Steffen Walter: ... had been niche products for years ...?
1 hr

agree  Bernhard Sulzer: prefer product; had for years been only niche products/had for years been relegated to a niche existence (wordier)
1 day 21 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
led a niche existence


Explanation:
This is what I would use.

Example sentence(s):
  • Buck wheat is of rather minor worldwide significance. In modern nutrition, these gluten-free nuts have long had only a niche existence.

    Reference: http://www.steiner-muehle.ch/fileadmin/Steiner-muehle/Dokume...
    Reference: http://coconutandvanilla.com/en/2012/04/27/cooking-through-l...
Andrea Garfield-Barkworth
Germany
Local time: 13:52
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  barbarameyer: or: eked out a niche existence
1 hr
  -> Thanks Barbara, eked is a nice touch.

agree  Kristina Cosumano (X)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Kristina

agree  Wendy Streitparth: Nice way of putting it.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Wendy

agree  Lonnie Legg: though I'd be wary of citing a non-native (here Swiss-German) source--especially when they've misspelled the sentence noun &btw one of their important products, "buckwheat".
6 hrs
  -> Thanks Lonnie

agree  Daniel Arnold (X)
12 hrs
  -> Thanks Daniel
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
relegated to the sidelines


Explanation:
I have seen/heard this in many similar contexts - the others not as much. See example below.

"And while tea has hardly been relegated to the sidelines – there are tearooms and teashops in every capital city in the country – coffee is now the conversation."
http://www.australia.com/en/things-to-do/food-and-wine/the-b...

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Note added at 11 hrs (2015-10-09 18:12:20 GMT)
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Or "relegated to a fringe existence". (The word "niche" is far less widely used in English than it is in German).

"Take Mountain Dew -- formerly a kind of quirky, rural refresher relegated to a fringe existence and now an icon of young energy and extreme sports, proudly thriving on the edge."
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/175371/brandin...

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 08:52
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Paul Cohen: I like the sports image, Michael, but to be "relegated to the sidelines," I figure you first have to be a player of some standing in the league. I don't think that applies very well to traditionally marginal athletes like lactose and gluten-free products.
39 mins
  -> Interesting point. But I'll stick with my guns. Don't see this as being confined to sports imagery at all
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