Zone = Parth
Tow = Halio
Away = Ymaith
Even the grammar is correct, with the word for Zone placed before the "Tow Away".
This sign though is a perfect example of why translations should be done by people who can speak both languages, not by an English speaker with a dictionary. Because to any Welsh speaking reader, this sign does not say "Tow Away Zone".
It says "Wank Away Zone".
5 comments:
So what is the correct translation of "Tow Away Zone"?
Hmmm....as I said "Parth Halio Ymaith" does technically say Tow Away Zone but in it's modern use has a much dirtier meaning.
A more appropriate version would probably be Parth Cipio Ceir or Parth Towio Ymaith.
It just shows the problem with thinking word for word translation is good enough.
"Towio" makes me wince - but maybe that's better than keeping 'halio' and borrowing 'wancio'... I guess the language has been absorbing odd bits of vocabulary for quite a while now - I remember being surprised how much Welsh vocabulary I found in Latin lessons (e.g. 'fenestra').
These execrable signs are still there. However elsewhere in the city I notice another sign newer sign on part of the new "bendy-bus" route which is conveying the same concept. The verb used for tow is "llusgo".
Love it!!
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