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Imagery Intelligence

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

Home nigger

Arabic translation:

العبيد المنصاعون طوعا / طواعية

Added to glossary by Yaser Suleiman
Mar 21, 2005 10:24
19 yrs ago
English term

Home nigger

English to Arabic Other Slang
Here are two definitions I found for "home nigger":

- A term popularised by Malcolm X, meaning the slave who lives and works in his master's house, rather than living with the other slaves and working on the plantations. Because he is treated better by the master, he grows to love his master, and therefore has little desire for freedom.

- Person who blindly follows simple-minded people.

In the context I have, it's rather the first definition.

The meaning is more than clear but I failed to put it in Arabic. I have in my mind العبيد الخاضعون أو التابعون لأسيادهم. But I would appreciate any other suggestion.

Thanks a lot!
Proposed translations (Arabic)
3 العبيد المنصاعون
4 +1 عبد المنزل
2 عبد مستأنس

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com Mar 21, 2005:
It's not "Malcolm X" movie and it does not involve any parallelism. I just needed a simple term. Thank you all for your kind help.
Fuad Yahya Mar 21, 2005:
A few days ago, we had a similar situation, when Sami posted a question on "side-by-side refrigerator." A couple of days later, it turned out that he needed a parallel expression for "top-mount refrigerator."
Fuad Yahya Mar 21, 2005:
Notice also that, depending on the context, you may (or may not) need a parallel expression to contrast with the concept of "home nigger." If the text involves a paralellism, you will need to preserve a similar paralellism in Arabic.
Fuad Yahya Mar 21, 2005:
Without context, for instance, the word ����, with which you seem to be comfortable, cannot be automaitically justified.
Fuad Yahya Mar 21, 2005:
If you are translating something different, all we need is a full sentence showing how the expression is used, because translating the phrase and explaining it are two different things.
Fuad Yahya Mar 21, 2005:
Are you translating the movie Malcolm X? In the movie, the distinction is shown as part of a TV interview, when in fact it was part of a speech, but it is the same thing.
Non-ProZ.com Mar 21, 2005:
I can't provide clear context unless I summarize the movie, which I can't do right now. That's why I chose a short way and searched myself for a definition that fit well the meaning I want. Thank you.
Fuad Yahya Mar 21, 2005:
You say, "in the context I have." What is the context you have? How does it read? I have a recording of the famous speech in which Mr. X differentiates between the home nigger and the plantation nigger (it is in the film, too), but what is your context?

Proposed translations

21 mins
Selected

العبيد المنصاعون

أو العبيد المنصاعون لأسيادهم

what just came in my mind, hope it helps

والله أعلم

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Note added at 23 mins (2005-03-21 10:47:20 GMT)
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came up, sorry!

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Note added at 23 mins (2005-03-21 10:47:27 GMT)
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came up, sorry!

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Note added at 3 hrs 34 mins (2005-03-21 13:59:16 GMT)
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وجدت مصطلحا ربما يكون أقرب للمعنى:

العبيد طواعية / طوعاً

أرجو أن يفيد

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Note added at 3 hrs 36 mins (2005-03-21 14:00:33 GMT)
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أو حتى دمج التعبيرين معا ممكن: العبيد المنصاعون طوعا / طواعية


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs 36 mins (2005-03-21 14:00:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

أو حتى دمج التعبيرين معا ممكن: العبيد المنصاعون طوعا / طواعية
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks a lot"
1 hr

عبد مستأنس

عبد مستأنس أو عبد داجن

لا أعلم إذا كان يحق لي الإتيان بمصطلح جديد من بنات أفكاري أم لا! لكن بمجرد قراءتي لشرحك خطر ببالي هذا المعنى على الرغم من أني لم أسمع بما قلته بنفسي من قبل.
Something went wrong...
+1
8 hrs

عبد المنزل

العبد الذي يعمل في منزل سيده
Peer comment(s):
agree Hossam Ahmed : the contrast here is between "home niggers" and "field niggers"! It has nothing to do with freedome of choice
2 days 3 hrs
Something went wrong...
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