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Mutterboden

English translation: fertile soil

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Mutterboden
English translation:fertile soil
Entered by: Lingua.Franca

06:53 Jun 5, 2008
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Philosophy / Ernst Cassirer
German term or phrase: Mutterboden
"Another difficulty is that Cassirer repeatedly describes myth as the Mutterboden, as the ‘mother ground’ that constitutes the genetic basis for all other forms of culture."

Mother ground has been created here and sounds allright, too. But technically the Mutterboden is the top soil, the dark top layer that is fertile.

Following the metaphor, myth is a fertile breeding ground all other forms of culture develop from. This notion comes from the system of symbolic forms.

So one could say that myth is the 'mother' of all cultural forms? Or just a dirty substrate things may grow in? How to translate that into English?

I am aware that this question has been asked about a text on Descartes and Leibniz.
Max Nuijens
Netherlands
Local time: 10:08
stick to yours - fertile soil
Explanation:
I like the way you translated it. Because it's a metaphor for the fertile soil, 'mother ground' sounds a bit off, not English in my opinion.

... describes myth as the Mutterboden, as the ‘fertile soil’ that harbors the genetic basis for all other forms of culture.

You could also include a play on words with cradle (somewhat related to mother and nurturing). e.g.: "... as the Mutterboden, the cradle which embraced the genetic basis for all other forms of culture."
Selected response from:

Lingua.Franca
Spain
Local time: 10:08
Grading comment
Well, I said 'breeding ground' and you say 'soil'; but I will use this and your helpful 'harbours' which is indeed more apt folliwing the nurturing nature of soil than 'constitutes' is. But I am afraid I cannot go along with cradles embracing the genetic basis and so on. Keep in mind Cassires was a philosopher, not a mystic. ;-) thanks.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4stick to yours - fertile soil
Lingua.Franca
4Matrix
Gregor Adlesic
3comment
Ken Cox
2myth is the mother's milk of
Jonathan MacKerron


  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
stick to yours - fertile soil


Explanation:
I like the way you translated it. Because it's a metaphor for the fertile soil, 'mother ground' sounds a bit off, not English in my opinion.

... describes myth as the Mutterboden, as the ‘fertile soil’ that harbors the genetic basis for all other forms of culture.

You could also include a play on words with cradle (somewhat related to mother and nurturing). e.g.: "... as the Mutterboden, the cradle which embraced the genetic basis for all other forms of culture."

Lingua.Franca
Spain
Local time: 10:08
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Well, I said 'breeding ground' and you say 'soil'; but I will use this and your helpful 'harbours' which is indeed more apt folliwing the nurturing nature of soil than 'constitutes' is. But I am afraid I cannot go along with cradles embracing the genetic basis and so on. Keep in mind Cassires was a philosopher, not a mystic. ;-) thanks.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Damian Harrison (X): Very much like your "cradle" reference
5 mins
agree  mary austria
31 mins
agree  Ken Cox: with 'fertile soil'; see my further comment in a separate answser
35 mins
agree  Nitin Goyal
3 hrs
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34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
myth is the mother's milk of


Explanation:
another approach

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
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59 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
comment


Explanation:
I essentially agree with Tamas' answer, with the following further comment (too large for a peer comment field).

IMO 'mother ground', aside from sounding odd in English, is an inadequate translation because 'ground' does not have the same wealth of meaning as 'Boden'. In your context, 'Mutterboden' immedately brings up an association (to me at least) with Nährboden, which is a nutrient medium, and 'Mutter' of course has the associations of fertility (conception and birth) and nurturing.

Also, I would not render this as 'myth is the mother of...'. There is a distinct difference between Mutterboden and Mutter, and between a mother and a fertile medium.

Ken Cox
Local time: 10:08
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: yes, ground would not work only as breeding ground, which approaches Nahrboden or voedingsbodem. e.g. 'a breeding ground for terrorism'. I feel it is something between a mother and a naked substrate for feeding. How exactly new forms of culture are created or born is subject to philosophical investigation of the rich array of metaphors Cassirer displays. He liked biological ones, but this also gave him trouble at times it seems. Thanks Ken!

Asker: "Yes, ground would only work as breeding ground ..."

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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Matrix


Explanation:
Leo dictionary says that Mutterboden means also matrix [tech.]

which sounds quite plausible to me.

Greg

Example sentence(s):
  • CHAPTER 4 THE POLITICS OF MYTH. CASSIRER’S PATHOLOGY OF THE ...According to Cassirer, the various symbolic forms. develop out of a common matrix,. i.e.. ,
Gregor Adlesic
Slovenia
Local time: 10:08
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SlovenianSlovenian
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