Synonyms that are also translations

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Livini
Posts: 19
Joined: 07 September 2021, 15:39

Synonyms that are also translations

Post by Livini »

So you're allowed to use synonyms as the one word, but not translations. But I played a game where the word was 'appetizer' and two players wrote 'horsd'oeuvre' and 'entrée' as clues. These are French words but are commonly used in English, so they're kind of both? Should these be allowed or not? Or should only 'entrée' be allowed because 'hors d'oeuvre' is actually two words?
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dhnyny
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Joined: 06 October 2015, 18:20

Re: Synonyms that are also translations

Post by dhnyny »

entrée is definitely permissible because it's not a translation of appetizer.
hors d'oeuvre is not one word so it's impermissible for that reason alone. But whether it's permissible as a synonym is a trickier question, because it is now part of the English language and is not simply a translation. I'd be fine with either decision if it weren't moot because it's more than one word.
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aghagh
Posts: 97
Joined: 22 November 2014, 20:38

Re: Synonyms that are also translations

Post by aghagh »

If the word is already part of the language played, I'd say it can be accepted. A person who only speaks the language of the game cannot be expected to know the etymological origin of every word in their language.

On the other hand, I would advise trying not to use controversial clues to avoid the chance of generating a discussion that could potentially degenarate (rage quit, red thumbs, etc.).
Last edited by aghagh on 03 November 2022, 20:56, edited 1 time in total.
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fruktansvärt
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Joined: 18 September 2020, 19:16

Re: Synonyms that are also translations

Post by fruktansvärt »

is "lupine" an acceptable clue for "wolf"
"lupine" means "wolf-like" in english, doesn't it?
in a game i was part of, lupine was excluded — on the basis of being latin, i guess.
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Earthboundia
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Joined: 01 August 2022, 04:53

Re: Synonyms that are also translations

Post by Earthboundia »

My rule of thumb is if it used in common day to day situations then I would accept it despite having origins in another langauge (like the rule in codenames) I don't know about an official rule though.
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dhnyny
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Re: Synonyms that are also translations

Post by dhnyny »

fruktansvärt wrote: 29 October 2022, 00:57 is "lupine" an acceptable clue for "wolf"
"lupine" means "wolf-like" in english, doesn't it?
in a game i was part of, lupine was excluded — on the basis of being latin, i guess.
Lupine is an English word with a Latin root. Lupus means wolf in Latin. Lupine is in the same word family as lupus but that's irrelevant because the mystery word is wolf, not lupus. Perfectly good clue.
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Waltex
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Joined: 23 March 2020, 04:48

Re: Synonyms that are also translations

Post by Waltex »

Yes I agree with dhnyny that Lupine is a valid clue.

I think that any word that appears in a respected English dictionary should be allowed. For example:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/

There are many words that have been adopted into the English language from other languages.

This is one of the features of the English language, in that it constantly gathers words from other languages and is a melting pot.
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