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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

neg

English translation: bowed/curtseyed

12:33 Aug 17, 2012
Swedish to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / traffic accident
Swedish term or phrase: neg
han såg hur bilen nästan "neg" och knuffade till bakre delen av hundspannet, studsade till och hamnade i diket.
Diarmuid Kennan
Ireland
Local time: 12:31
English translation:bowed/curtseyed
Explanation:
It's the past tense of "niga". I imagine it describes how the front of the car dipped towards the road as it braked hard.
Selected response from:

Clare Barnes
Sweden
Local time: 13:31
Grading comment
Thanks Clare....both for the correct translation of the term and for your suggestion of 'dipped'
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5bowed/curtseyed
Clare Barnes
5buckled
Åsa Schoening
3 +1dipped
SafeTex
3 -1knelt (down)
Tania McConaghy


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
bowed/curtseyed


Explanation:
It's the past tense of "niga". I imagine it describes how the front of the car dipped towards the road as it braked hard.

Clare Barnes
Sweden
Local time: 13:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thanks Clare....both for the correct translation of the term and for your suggestion of 'dipped'

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  George Hopkins: I would say 'dipped' in this context. If you check with an English dictionary Clare, I think you will find that curtsey or bow do not fit in the context. Definitely no quotes in the actual translation...
6 mins
  -> So would I (as you can see in my response), but the author chose to describe the action in a particular way - and it would be misleading to say that the translation of niga/neg is simply dip/dipped. The "correct" translation is being used figuratively!!
agree  Cynthia Coan: Note the quotes. In English, a word like "bow" or "curtsey" would be more likely to appear in quotes than "dip," though the latter would make a perfectly legit translation if it weren't for the quotes.
1 day 1 hr
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
knelt (down)


Explanation:
guessing the allusion is to the type of bus that can be lowered, "nigande buss". This is done by buses when stationary however, the car in this example is moving so perhaps a different term suits better... hence the low confidence level of this alternative answer



Example sentence(s):
  • A kneeling bus is a bus that not only has no steps between the door and the bus floor, but also has an air-adjustable suspension.
  • Bilarna blir allt säkrare, till och med småbilar som VW Up har aktiva säkerhetssysten som snajdigt får bilen att niga inför hinder.

    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-floor_bus
    Reference: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/swedish_to_english/transport_trans...
Tania McConaghy
Sweden
Local time: 13:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 26

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  George Hopkins: Vehicles do not curtsey, bow or kneel. Don't believe everything you see on the Internet. The choice is entirely yours Tania; perhaps a contribution to svengelska.
20 hrs
  -> På svenska kan ett fordon niga. Om fordon gör så på engelska beror på vilken dialekt man talar. Visst, jag aktar mig och tror inte på allt jag läser på nätet (inklusive din uppmaning). Vänligen TS
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
dipped


Explanation:
For me, the front of the car 'dips' like the nose of a plane.

SafeTex
France
Local time: 13:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  George Hopkins: 100%
5 hrs
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1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
buckled


Explanation:
I'd spontaneously use "buckle" for "niga" in a context like this. When your knees buckle, you essentially bow or curtsy. A person, car, bridge, etc. can buckle under the weight of a heavy load.

Åsa Schoening
United States
Local time: 07:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Swedish
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