Still more help with French, please

AlexBell · 03-02-2017, 02:22 AM

I'm working on 'The Young Cosima' by Henry Handel Richardson, published in 1939 for the MobileRead library. As there are many unusual words in the text I want to set up Annotations to provide translations.

In Part 2 the text contains :'Pushing back the plumeau, he sat down on the side of her bed.' Google Translate gives only feather duster for plumeau, which makes no sense at all to me. Is there another French word which would fit better? Cosima was brought up in France, and she speaks French with her current husband Hans von Bulow.

ATDrake · 03-02-2017, 02:35 AM

That's probably actually the correct word and not a typo/ocr error.

The entry in the Trésor de la langue française informatisé via Wiktionary gives a secondary definition of what amounts to a bouquet-like decoration assembled from feathers.

So if he has to move some kind of interior design or hat decoration ornament out of the way before he can sit, that would explain it.

ETA: oops, there's actually a 3rd definition which amounts to a duvet (the actual definition roughly translates to “eiderdown, feather coverlet”, and quotes an example sentence of “pillows behind the back, a coverlet over the feet, his/her balaclava on the head”) and that's probably it.

latepaul · 03-02-2017, 02:41 AM

Not a French speaker but found this: plumeau

Any German connection with the character?

Doitsu · 03-02-2017, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by latepaul

Not a French speaker but found this: plumeau

Any German connection with the character?

You might be on to something. According to the leading German dictionary plumeau is an archaic term for a duvet/comforter.

AlexBell · 03-02-2017, 11:02 PM

Thanks so much to all of you. Duvet/comforter makes so much more sense.

And yes, latepaul, Hans von Bülow was German though he and his wife Cosima (later Cosima Wagner) spoke French together. And they lived in Germany.

Arios · 03-03-2017, 12:03 PM

Hi Alex,

Late to the references party!

I agree with Doitsu. Indeed, according to Littré the term means (mot à mot): "cover in feathers". So when he is "pushing back the plumeau" he is pushing back a feathers blanket.

Ref: http://www.littre.org/definition/plumeau See def. # 5. The Littré is often a good French source for old words.

AlexBell · 03-04-2017, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arios

Hi Alex,

Late to the references party!

I agree with Doitsu. Indeed, according to Littré the term means (mot à mot): "cover in feathers". So when he is "pushing back the plumeau" he is pushing back a feathers blanket.

Ref: http://www.littre.org/definition/plumeau See def. # 5. The Littré is often a good French source for old words.

Thanks for the reference. I have just enough French left from my stay in Canada to be able to use it.

Arios · 03-05-2017, 11:40 AM

You're welcome Alex.

03-02-2017, 02:22 AM	#1
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Still more help with French, please I'm working on 'The Young Cosima' by Henry Handel Richardson, published in 1939 for the MobileRead library. As there are many unusual words in the text I want to set up Annotations to provide translations. In Part 2 the text contains :'Pushing back the plumeau, he sat down on the side of her bed.' Google Translate gives only feather duster for plumeau, which makes no sense at all to me. Is there another French word which would fit better? Cosima was brought up in France, and she speaks French with her current husband Hans von Bulow.

03-02-2017, 02:35 AM	#2
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	That's probably actually the correct word and not a typo/ocr error. The entry in the Trésor de la langue française informatisé via Wiktionary gives a secondary definition of what amounts to a bouquet-like decoration assembled from feathers. So if he has to move some kind of interior design or hat decoration ornament out of the way before he can sit, that would explain it. ETA: oops, there's actually a 3rd definition which amounts to a duvet (the actual definition roughly translates to “eiderdown, feather coverlet”, and quotes an example sentence of “pillows behind the back, a coverlet over the feet, his/her balaclava on the head”) and that's probably it. Last edited by ATDrake; 03-02-2017 at 02:40 AM.

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03-02-2017, 02:41 AM	#3
latepaul Wizard Posts: 1,264 Karma: 10203040 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: a variety (mostly kindles and kobos)	Not a French speaker but found this: plumeau Any German connection with the character?

03-02-2017, 11:02 PM	#5
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Thanks so much to all of you. Duvet/comforter makes so much more sense. And yes, latepaul, Hans von Bülow was German though he and his wife Cosima (later Cosima Wagner) spoke French together. And they lived in Germany.

03-03-2017, 12:03 PM	#6
Arios A curiosus lector! Posts: 463 Karma: 2015140 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: Sony PRS-T1, Kobo Touch	Hi Alex, Late to the references party! I agree with Doitsu. Indeed, according to Littré the term means (mot à mot): "cover in feathers". So when he is "pushing back the plumeau" he is pushing back a feathers blanket. Ref: http://www.littre.org/definition/plumeau See def. # 5. The Littré is often a good French source for old words.

03-05-2017, 11:40 AM	#8
Arios A curiosus lector! Posts: 463 Karma: 2015140 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: Sony PRS-T1, Kobo Touch	You're welcome Alex.