This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Swedish to English
  3. Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.

aktör

English translation: participant

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Swedish term or phrase:aktör
English translation:participant
Entered by: Anette Herbert

13:34 May 26, 2004
Swedish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
Swedish term or phrase: aktör
I struggle with the term actor for aktör - all I visualize is a lot of "skådespelare" raising around the world taking part in all kinds of social and business projects.

What say you?
Anette Herbert
Local time: 10:15
participant, agent
Explanation:
True, the term is used, and so is 'players'.

'All the world's a stage', as the great Bard said.

Nevertheless, you can vary it a little with:

agent, functionary, operative, operator, person involved/those involved, party/parties





--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs 9 mins (2004-05-27 06:44:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Funnily enough, \'agent\' comes from the same Latin root as \'actor\'.
The verb \'agere\', to do or act in the sense of taking action, has \'agent\' as the person carrying out the action.

As the verb inflects and conjugates (I can\'t remember all the details!) you get to act, actors etc.

But English does prefer not to use \'actors\' ALL the time...
(Concise Oxford Dictionary, Fifth Edition 1964 (sic) and Miss QM Blench, RIP!)
Selected response from:

Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 11:15
Grading comment
Tack! participants känns neutralt och bra, social actors är också bra tack, men här är det otydligt om aktörerna är "social" eller inte.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1participant, agent
Christine Andersen
4social actors!
hirselina
3 +1players, participants
Peter Linton (X)
4(field) operative(s)
Sven Petersson


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
social actors!


Explanation:
That the term used

An example
Scapegoats and Social Actors : The Exclusion and Integration of Minorities in Western and Eastern Europe (Migration, Minorities, & Citizenship Ser.). ...
www.academicbooktrade.co.uk/showbook.php?id=6589

hirselina
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in DutchDutch
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
aktör
players, participants


Explanation:
I too have struggled with this word, which is very popular in some Swedish business texts, and also in EU documents, eg market actors, actors in the electricity industry, etc etc.
But I think "actor" is rather less popular in English texts. "Players" is somewhat more common in that same sense, but personally I tend to stick to the rather more mundane word "participants," which I think works much better in English.
Of some support from Google - the term market participants is far more common than market players, and that in turn is far more common (but less vivid) than market actors.

Peter Linton (X)
Local time: 10:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mario Marcolin: players
5 hrs
neutral  Catherine Brix: What about a term like "labour market actors" - surely you wouldn't want to use the term player in such a context? Guess "parties" would work but "players" doesn't really command the respect of "actors" .
8 hrs
neutral  hirselina: agree with mary
9 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
aktör
(field) operative(s)


Explanation:
As opposed to "observers".

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 11:15
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 27
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
aktör
participant, agent


Explanation:
True, the term is used, and so is 'players'.

'All the world's a stage', as the great Bard said.

Nevertheless, you can vary it a little with:

agent, functionary, operative, operator, person involved/those involved, party/parties





--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs 9 mins (2004-05-27 06:44:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Funnily enough, \'agent\' comes from the same Latin root as \'actor\'.
The verb \'agere\', to do or act in the sense of taking action, has \'agent\' as the person carrying out the action.

As the verb inflects and conjugates (I can\'t remember all the details!) you get to act, actors etc.

But English does prefer not to use \'actors\' ALL the time...
(Concise Oxford Dictionary, Fifth Edition 1964 (sic) and Miss QM Blench, RIP!)


    Collins Thesaurus - the ultimate wordfinder
Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 11:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Tack! participants känns neutralt och bra, social actors är också bra tack, men här är det otydligt om aktörerna är "social" eller inte.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mario Marcolin: agent
5 hrs
  -> thanks!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search