LTI Glossary

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This page is used to compile those words used in our materials that cause difficulties during translations. Please note that, in the English language, many meanings depend on the context in which the word or phrase is used.

Portuguese Glossary [1]

Entry layout

  • Term or phrase (what needs defining?)
  • Definitions (Define it once for each contextual use)
  • Synonyms (provide alternative words or phrases that provide the same contextual info)
  • Team chosen translation of term or phrase (include this in your individual language glossaries, not here)

Suggestion for the appearance of the wiki page: It would significantly reduce the length of the page if all the translated terms can be hidden by default (especially when we collect more translations in there). They can be shown when a button under the respective definition is pressed. Does anybody know how to do this?] We can try a method used in HTML, but I have a strong feeling it won't work properly. Other options include tabs or the use of the translation system built into wiki (creates separate pages for each language). Please drop in the link to the wiki page here so I can experiment a bit. - Ray


Language teams should pay attention to the context and the intended meaning because while "aberrant" is used more often, "abhorent" is more suitable because it is more understandable.

Glossary

  • Aberrant Vs Abhorent
  • Anything less
Spanish - Conformarse con menos. (Esto es para cuando hablan de "anything less will result in the same problems we see today").
  • Arrive at decisions
  • In advocation of
  • In support of
  • Belt
Spanish - cinturón. (Agricultural belt, production belt, etc.).
  • Biosocial theory
Theory in behavioral and social science that suggests the attribution of disorders of personality and conditions of mind to the reaction of biologically determined personality traits to environmental stimuli.
  • Boom and bust
A great buildup in the price of a particular commodity or, alternately, the localized rise in an economy, often based upon the value of a single commodity, followed by a downturn as the commodity price falls due to a change in economic circumstances or the collapse of unrealistic expectations.
Finnish - nousu- ja laskusuhdanne
  • Carrying capacity
Finnish - kantokyky
Spanish - capacidad de carga [2]
  • Common heritage
Finnish - yhteinen perintö
Spanish - Patrimonio común
  • Competition
Spanish - Competición."Competencia" se refiere más a lo competente que es una persona.
  • Comprehensive
Spanish - survey/report = exhaustivo, global; view = integral, de conjunto; list/range = completo; insurance/cover = contra todo riesgo
  • Comprehension
Spanish - Comprensión (comprensivo es referente a understanding)
  • Corporatocracy
A ruling class determined by corporations rather than political entities
Finnish - korporatokratia
Spanish - corporatocracia
  • Crime, criminal
Spanish - Tienen dos significados en español. 1. Delincuencia, delincuente, en los textos que traducimos casi siempre el significado es éste. 2. Crimen, criminal = asesinato, asesino
  • Cybernation
Allowing technology (computers) to control various aspects of society [I think this is SocioCyberneering]
Wedding of computerization with machine automation
Finnish - tietokoneistaminen
Spanish - Cibernetización.
  • City systems
Spanish - Sistemas urbanas
  • Deprivation
Spanish - Privación. (¡Cuidado!, no es lo mismo que depravado).
  • Desalinization
Removing salt from water
  • Designed
Finnish - suunniteltu
  • Development track
Spanish - trayectoria evolutiva.
  • Dumbing down
The process of making people less intelligent through a lack of decent education, TV programmes with stupid topics, overdoses of hero worship to pop stars and sports figures, etc.
Spanish - atontamiento
Finnish - tyhmentäminen
Spanish - atontamiento, estupidización.
  • Efficient
Spanish - eficiente (si se refiere a personas), eficaz (si se refiere a máquinas, sistema, etc.)
  • Emergency contingency department
  • Established [system/institution/power]
  • Establishment
Spanish - el establishment, la clase dirigente (en caso de verlo, el consenso es dejar en ingles establishment)
  • Eventually
Spanish - finalmente, al final.
  • Feedback
Spanish - el consenso es dejar esta palabra técnica en inglés a menos que se aplique claramente: respuesta, retroalimentación.
  • Fiat money
Spanish - dinero fiat [3]
  • Fractional reserve banking system
Spanish - sistema bancario de reserva fraccionaria.
  • Geothermal power
power extracted from heat stored in the earth.
Finnish - maalämpö,geoterminen energia
  • Heat concentrator
  • High-rise
  • Hydroponic
method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil.
Finnish - vesiviljely
  • Interdisciplinary teams
An interdisciplinary field is a field of study that crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged.
Finnish - monitieteelliset valvontaryhmät
  • Life base
Spanish - base vital
  • Market system
Spanish - sistema de mercado.
  • Matter of degree
  • Methodology
Methodology may be a description of process, or may be expanded to include a philosophically coherent collection of theories, concepts or ideas as they relate to a particular discipline or field of inquiry.
Finnish - menetelmäoppi, metodologia tai metodiikka
  • Money-sequence (term coined by John McMurtry that Peter is now using too)
  • Nature vs. nurture
The nature versus nurture debates concern the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature", i.e. nativism, or innatism) versus personal experiences ("nurture", i.e. empiricism or behaviorism) in determining or causing individual differences in physical and behavioral traits.
Finnish - perintötekijät vs. ympäristötekijät
Greek - φύσις καὶ ἕξις [Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics]
  • Neural Darwinism
Spanish - darwinismo neural.
  • Nucleation
Nucleation normally occurs at nucleation sites on surfaces contacting the liquid or vapor.
Finnish - Nukleaatio, ydintyminen
  • People
Spanish - personas
  • Photovoltaics
A method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect.
Finnish - aurinkopaneelit
  • Planned obsolescence
Product design that causes items to wear out or break faster than necessary, so the customer is forced to make duplicate purchases
Finnish - suunniteltu lyhytikäisyys
French - l'obsolescence planifiée
Spanish - obsolescencia planificada
  • Prefabricated
  • Profit Motive
Anything that a business does to increase profits at the expense of the customer
Specifying that the motivation for a given action comes from the pursuit of profit
Spanish - lucro
  • Provide
Spanish - Hay que tener cuidado entre proveer y proporcionar. Consultar la RAE en todo caso.
  • Reasonable or logical ("The solutions to our problems will not come about through the application of reason or logic. Unfortunately, at present we do not live in a reasonable or logical world")
  • Recall memory
Spanish - recuerdos
  • Resource Based Economy (also Resource-Based Economy)
If there is no word or phrase that means 'Resource-based' within your language, we should probably introduce the English term as a new concept
Spanish - Economia Basada en Recursos
Finnish - resurssipohjainen talous
French - Une économie de ressources
  • Scientific method
A scientific method consists of the collection of data through observation and experimentation, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.
Finnish - tieteellinen menetelmä
  • Semantics
Study of meaning, usually in language.
Finnish - merkitysoppi
French - La sémantique
  • Shape memory material
An alloy that "remembers" its original, cold-forged shape: returning the pre-deformed shape by heating.
Finnish - muotomuistimateriaali
  • Structural motivation
  • Stylized architectural conceptualizations
  • Sustainable
Able to be replaced/recycled at least as quickly as it is used.
In accordance with the capacity of the systems on which it is dependant
In equilibrium with basic ecological support systems
Spanish - sostenible (desarrollo sostenible)
Finnish - kestävä
  • Systems approach
considers the dependencies and interactions of all the parts of the system.
Spanish - enfoque sistémico
  • Steady state-economy
Spanish - economía estacionaria
  • "Talking at each other, not to one another."
Refers to people in conversation who are focused more on what they will say next, instead of truly listening to the other person speak.
  • Technocracy
Technocracy is a hypothetical form of government in which engineers, scientists, health professionals and other technical experts are in control of decision making in their respective fields.
Finnish - teknokratia
  • ms around an area, often using conveyor belts, elevators, rollers, etc.
  • Think tank
Spanish - laboratorio de ideas.
  • Tidal power
Spanish - energía mareomotriz.
  • Total city system
Spanish - Sistema urbano integral.
  • Transveyor (A mechanical system for moving people &/or other items around an area, often using conveyor belts, elevators, rollers, etc.)
Spanish -
  • Undermine
Spanish - minar, socavar, debilitar.
  • Understandings
Spanish - nociones (entendimientos no significa 'understandings)'.
  • Unfortunately
Spanish - lamentablemente
  • Vested Interest
  • Waste
Spanish - residuos
  • Wave power
Spanish - energía undimotriz.
  • Witholding
This one depends on the context in which it's used
When referring to products, ideas & resources
Holding back, reserving, keeping from the public
When used to denote payment of money
The taxes (money) automatically deducted from a person's paycheck before they receive it

This is a phrase from Social Pathology that really had us stuck in spanish. (minute 4.45) "How much of you is you?" "The answer of course is a paradox, because either everything is me, or nothing is me when it comes to the information I understand and act upon." People wanted to translate it as "Either I am everything, or I am nothing". This is Peters answer when I consulted him: Okay: "How much of you is you?" can be restated as: "Are your understandings your own or are they imposed by education?" As far as "The answer of course is a paradox, because either everything is me, or nothing is me when it comes to the information I understand and act upon." - can be restated as: "The answer can seem like a contradiction, for either I create all my perspectives or all my perspectives are created for me" The comment borders on poetry so be careful of being too literal. The point being made is that we are programmed by the environment, but we are also active with it- meaning we have a causal influence as well. Another way to look at it is that we are "points of motion" and there is nothing static- it is continuous. So - information comes into us from the external - and our conditioned (novel) internal system translates it - and it goes back out into the external... so it is a fluid motion transfer. In other words, there is no separation of flow. I hope that helps.