Mitwelt (here)

English translation: Milieu

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Mitwelt
English translation:Milieu
Entered by: Gillian Searl

09:17 Jan 21, 2003
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Management
German term or phrase: Mitwelt (here)
Anyone up for a challenge this morning? I'm translating some QM documents and the wonderful German author has set up some abbreviations:

6M Mensch, Maschine, Mitwelt, Messen, Material, Methode: Die 6 Ursachen für Abweichungen.

So I need to translate all these words so that they start with M - most are fine except Mitwelt which I would translate as "environment". Any suggestions?

I'm using "man" for "Mensch" even though I don't like it - if you have a better suggestion for Mensch I'd be grateful for that too! Thanks so much. What would I do without you all?
Gillian Searl
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:16
milieu
Explanation:
I know that this word has been used in English and in order to keep your "M"'s, I'd suggest that here. For "Mensch" I would use "mankind"
Selected response from:

Klaus Dorn (X)
Local time: 04:16
Grading comment
Thanks - Milieu will have to do in the limiting circumstances given. And I know that the Americans won't have a clue what it means but there are limits to what a client can expect. I also kept man for Mensch - I agree you can't blame the whole of mankind for one person's mistake! This job came with a list of instructions as long as your arm - write for an international readership that may not speak English as a first language, write in a gender-free way etc. But when you insist on translating terms with a specific letter there's only so much a translator can do!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4milieu
Klaus Dorn (X)
4 +2My environment
Alexander Schleber (X)
4 +1microcosm
jerrie
5Mitmenschen
. Dienstleister
4my world
gangels (X)


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
microcosm


Explanation:
Would this work?
Little universe/close world around you?


hth

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nancy Arrowsmith: this is probably the closest you are going to get to an M unless you start using hyphenated words
5 hrs
  -> Thanks
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
milieu


Explanation:
I know that this word has been used in English and in order to keep your "M"'s, I'd suggest that here. For "Mensch" I would use "mankind"

Klaus Dorn (X)
Local time: 04:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
Grading comment
Thanks - Milieu will have to do in the limiting circumstances given. And I know that the Americans won't have a clue what it means but there are limits to what a client can expect. I also kept man for Mensch - I agree you can't blame the whole of mankind for one person's mistake! This job came with a list of instructions as long as your arm - write for an international readership that may not speak English as a first language, write in a gender-free way etc. But when you insist on translating terms with a specific letter there's only so much a translator can do!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Louise Mawbey: great ideas - Gillian, I'm interested to know what you've found for 'Messen' that starts with an 'm'!!
3 mins
  -> I suppose "measuring", or are we talking exhibitions?

agree  Armorel Young: Good one. How about manpower (or man- & womanpower) for Mensch?
10 mins

neutral  Mary Worby: I think mankind would be too broad, you can hardly blame a discrepancy on the whole of mankind!
17 mins

agree  Ceri Marshall: a good answer!
27 mins

neutral  Alexander Schleber (X): milieu is a term that has social connotations for most people.
31 mins

agree  Steffen Walter: Alexander may have a point here but the term should still be justifiable given the necessity of finding words starting with "M".
1 hr

neutral  Nancy Arrowsmith: milieu is generally used in Europe to mean environment, but the connection is utterly lost on Americans
5 hrs
  -> yes, utterly...
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Mitmenschen


Explanation:
Mitwelt, die; -:
Gesamtheit der Mitmenschen, Zeitgenossen.
Quelle: DUDEN - Deutsches Universalwörterbuch

. Dienstleister
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38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
My environment


Explanation:
One way (though not super elegant) around is to use two words.

Mitwelt -> the world I live in

Alexander Schleber (X)
Belgium
Local time: 03:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 31

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Steffen Walter: gute Idee!
36 mins

agree  Ellen Zittinger
2 hrs
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
my world


Explanation:
myriad world, mega-world, metamorphic world


Like the last best because Mitwelt never stays the same, everything is in flux, it's metamorphic

gangels (X)
Local time: 19:16
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 51
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