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gagelig

English translation: spindly

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:gagelig
English translation:spindly
Entered by: Nicole Schnell

21:57 Apr 20, 2012
German to English translations [PRO]
Poetry & Literature
German term or phrase: gagelig
From a description in a fantasy novel of a tiny goblin suddenly increasing in size:

Seine schmächtigen und gageligen Ärmchen schwollen rapide an.

Perhaps a dialect word. (The author lives in Hamburg, if that has anything to do with it.)
Timothy Strauss
Local time: 17:15
spindly
Explanation:
"Gagelig" is a wonderful word... :-)

For whatever reason, the term "spindly" appears to be wildly popular when it comes to describing specific anatomical features of goblins and the likes:

"You called, sire?" The fire goblin appeared in an instant, hovering above the floor. He was an ugly thing to look at, like a broken doll, his spindly arms and legs were twisted and his large head bulged with red eyes."

From: The Land of the Nen-Us-Yok
By Jamie Sutliff
http://books.google.com/books?id=njj11Jfj9gIC&pg=PT37&lpg=PT...

--------------------------

"A Bugbear resembles a “stretched” version of a bog-standard Goblin – long spindly arms, pot-bellies, bandy legs, impossibly long fingers, splayed feet, filthy nails."

http://hugeruinedpile.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/down-down-to-...

---------------------------------------

"Goblins are most definable by their large pointed ears, and long spindly arms ending in long dexterous fingers which prove to be excellent tools for counting money."

http://www.wow-goldstore.com/Goblins-Race-in-World-of-Warcra...



Selected response from:

Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 09:15
Grading comment
Many thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4gangly, lanky
Johanna Timm, PhD
3 +2spindly
Nicole Schnell
4puny
Dr. Mara Huber
Summary of reference entries provided
from Leo forum
Susan Welsh

Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
gangly, lanky


Explanation:
kenn ich im botanischen Zushg und ja, scheint norddeutsch zu sein.

"Gagelig" heißt so viel wie hoch und dürr gewachsen, schlacksig..."

http://green-24.de/forum/ftopic14177.html

fits the goblin theme:
"Goblins tend to have an chimpanzee-like appearance with long gangly arms coming down just past their knees, their hands are much larger ..."
www.hollowgame.com/wiki/Goblin



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2012-04-20 22:12:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"gawky" might also work

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 09:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 69

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: I would go for "gangly" ... "gangly" arms,"lanky" legs :) see goblins all the time Johanna but still see "gangly"
1 hr
  -> well, David... have you seen any goblins lately?Some DO have lanky arms :)) http://forum.barrowdowns.com/archive/index.php?t-5921.html
agree  Horst Huber (X): "Schmächtig" would suggest thin or emaciated, so "gangly" would fit. If it is 'norddeutsch', the two might be cognates?
4 hrs
  -> yes - looks (& sounds) like it!
agree  Ramey Rieger (X): Gangly! Hair is lanky, young, slim people are lanky, lanky can even be elegant in certain contexts. But gangly is first and foremost the (over)long, awkward limbs of pre-teens and early teens
7 hrs
  -> I know, I have them (the teens)! Thanks Ramey.
agree  Gulten Kuram (X): But it's a really interesting word which contains the meaning instability as well as growth. It seems the origin is South Germany? : http://dict.leo.org/forum/viewUnsolvedquery.php?idThread=311...
10 hrs
  -> Possibly! I grew up in the region north of Hamburg & my mom used to call her tomato plants "gakelig"
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1 day 10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
spindly


Explanation:
"Gagelig" is a wonderful word... :-)

For whatever reason, the term "spindly" appears to be wildly popular when it comes to describing specific anatomical features of goblins and the likes:

"You called, sire?" The fire goblin appeared in an instant, hovering above the floor. He was an ugly thing to look at, like a broken doll, his spindly arms and legs were twisted and his large head bulged with red eyes."

From: The Land of the Nen-Us-Yok
By Jamie Sutliff
http://books.google.com/books?id=njj11Jfj9gIC&pg=PT37&lpg=PT...

--------------------------

"A Bugbear resembles a “stretched” version of a bog-standard Goblin – long spindly arms, pot-bellies, bandy legs, impossibly long fingers, splayed feet, filthy nails."

http://hugeruinedpile.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/down-down-to-...

---------------------------------------

"Goblins are most definable by their large pointed ears, and long spindly arms ending in long dexterous fingers which prove to be excellent tools for counting money."

http://www.wow-goldstore.com/Goblins-Race-in-World-of-Warcra...





Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 09:15
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 32
Grading comment
Many thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  hazmatgerman (X): //@N.S.: "large pointed ears": I was under the impression those were peculiar to Vulcans. G'Night
9 hrs
  -> Thanks, hazmatgerman! Have a nice weekend! :-)
agree  Lancashireman: Absolutely
15 hrs
  -> Thanks, Andrew! :-)
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2 days 14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
puny


Explanation:
This is what that means in our local dialect.
"puny arms" gets more than 2 million google finds.

Dr. Mara Huber
Germany
Local time: 18:15
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
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Reference comments


17 mins
Reference: from Leo forum

Reference information:
wobbly?


    Reference: http://denkmethode.blogspot.com/2005/01/dialiekt-bewahren.ht...
Susan Welsh
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
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