samendenken

English translation: Telepastorming/telepathicstorming

21:59 Sep 24, 2011
Dutch to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Term for fantasy novel
Dutch term or phrase: samendenken
I'm translating a fantasy novel in which the characters can communicate with each other by telepathy. The author has called this "samendenken" en would like a translation of that word that doesn't sound too formal
(I had translated it as "jointemplating".)
Anybody have a suggestion perhaps?
OneMind
Netherlands
Local time: 10:54
English translation:Telepastorming/telepathicstorming
Explanation:
:)
Telekinesis
shared-thinking
Selected response from:

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 03:54
Grading comment
I was very happy with all contributions, and found them all equally helpful. The author decided that she would like me to go for "telepatalking". Verginia's answer comes closest to that...
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4silent speak; silent speaking
Michael Beijer
3unithink
Lianne van de Ven
3linkthinking / linkthink
Kitty Brussaard
3syncthink/sync-think
June Derlachter
1Telepastorming/telepathicstorming
Verginia Ophof


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
Telepastorming/telepathicstorming


Explanation:
:)
Telekinesis
shared-thinking

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 03:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
I was very happy with all contributions, and found them all equally helpful. The author decided that she would like me to go for "telepatalking". Verginia's answer comes closest to that...
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
silent speak; silent speaking


Explanation:
'Ben je daar?' samendacht ze.

'Are you there?' she silently spoke.

----------
This focuses more on the aspect of communication, than on the thinking (denken), but this is because when you start to think about how two people would actually THINK together, things soon become rather messy...

Example sentence(s):
  • 'Are you there?' she silently spoke.
  • Where they are from people communicate by silent speak, something that is hard for us to fathom.
Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: I like "speaking silently", but the author really wants ONE (new) word. She has nos suggested "to thinktalk" herself, but to be honest, I think that's a horrible suggestion :-)

Asker: By the way, I agree that things can become rather messy if two people think together, but in this case it is a god and a human who are communicating this way, which is a little different...

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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
unithink


Explanation:
There are already about 6000 google hits for this word but I like it for this purpose. My reasoning was that 'thinking' is the part that definitely needs to be 'thinking' (not feeling, imagining, etc) so I just thought of different options for 'samen' and thought of 'uni' - rather than sync. Personally I like it. We unithought our way out of this problem.

Lianne van de Ven
United States
Local time: 05:54
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 8
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
linkthinking / linkthink


Explanation:
This would emphasise the aspect of creating a mental link with the other party ...



Kitty Brussaard
Netherlands
Local time: 10:54
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
syncthink/sync-think


Explanation:
I like your idea: jointemplating :-)

syncthink/sync-think



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Note added at 19 hrs (2011-09-25 17:19:37 GMT)
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This is the interesting part: how "natural" does a word have to sound considering that this is a "fantasy" text?
How "sci-fi" is this book? Have any other words been created for this text?

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Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2011-09-26 01:07:51 GMT)
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Yes, I totally understand what you mean. Actually, that is an important aspect.

June Derlachter
Canada
Local time: 02:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, communicating by thinking is indeed what I am looking for. But it's difficult to come up with a word that sounds "natural" enough.

Asker: The book is not so much sci-fi as "Tolkien-like"... No other terms have been created so far for this text, just names for peoples, such as the "Avillin" and the "Eeries". By "natural" I mean that the verb should sound "right in your mouth" - if you know what I mean?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  lexispro: Syncthink (I like the sound of this one!) suggests thinking at the same time, wheras it sees that a word suggesting communicating by thinking is needed - something like commuthinking, past tense or noun - commuthought.
5 hrs
  -> Interesting way of seeing it! :-)
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