femme rassembleur

English translation: a (motherly) unifying/binding figure/a mother hen type

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:femme rassembleur
English translation:a (motherly) unifying/binding figure/a mother hen type
Entered by: Yvonne Gallagher

15:10 Aug 19, 2019
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / in a document from the Congo on a person's family origins
French term or phrase: femme rassembleur
The document is from the DRC. The subject is explaining his family origins and states that his father was polygamous and lists his half-brothers and sisters. He describes his half-brothers mother as 'Une femme rassembleur, femme d'un grand coeur et d'amour envers nous tous'
Andrew Sharp
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:25
a (motherly) unifying/binding figure/a mother hen type
Explanation:
I'd use one of those depending on register.

so something like

'Une femme rassembleur, femme d\'un grand coeur et d\'amour envers nous tous\'

a warm-hearted (motherly) figure/mother hen type, uniting/binding us all with her love

a warm-hearted loving woman bringing/binding us together with her love

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Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-19 16:12:56 GMT)
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last line above should be
a warm-hearted loving woman bringing/binding us ALL together with her love

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Note added at 18 hrs (2019-08-20 10:00:17 GMT)
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Glad to help
Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 13:25
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5a (motherly) unifying/binding figure/a mother hen type
Yvonne Gallagher
3 +1conciliatory woman/mother
Lara Barnett
3 +1woman who was a unifier / organiser
Mpoma
3a matriarc/a matriarchal figure
SafeTex
3Someone who brings everyone together
ormiston


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


49 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
conciliatory woman/mother


Explanation:
An idea, based on my interpretation of this Word Reference thread:
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/un-rassembleur.92704...

...but just an idea possibly.



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Note added at 51 mins (2019-08-19 16:02:19 GMT)
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Or maybe "She had a very conciliatory approach to us....etc"

"Where there’s little or no point in trying to reason with him, and indeed, engaging in any kind of CONCILIATORY APPROACH is only likely to infuriate him even further when he realises, that actually, despite mummy’s soft words and smiling face, he is still not getting what he wants. "
https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/children-tantrums-disciplin...

Example sentence(s):
  • "Instead, try offering a CONCILIATORY hug (albeit out of sight of the rest of the class, if this is likely to cause embarrassment) and then switch the subject to something totally separate from school, like plans for the weekend."
  • "She had been the oldest child of a demanding, violent father and a CONCILIATORY MOTHER--both of whom she recognizes in her hold-back, blow-up upbringing of Jon and Buffy."

    https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/23/how-to-handle-the-after-school-grumps_n_7385550.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cu
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lynn-caine-2/what-did-i-do-wrong/
Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:25
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  B D Finch: The "conciliatory mother" in your reference sounds like a doormat.
2 mins
  -> Not necessarily. But in any case, being a "doormat" is not the only use/meaning of "conciliatory" is it?// There is absolutely no proof, or even suggestion, here that mother is a "doormat", do you think your interpretation might be a bit narrow minded?

agree  Mpoma: I think "conciliatory" ain't bad at all. "Rassembleur" means achieving consensus. The slight niggle for me with "conciliatory" is that it means consensus in the teeth of dispute... but you can also achieve it without dispute.
19 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
a (motherly) unifying/binding figure/a mother hen type


Explanation:
I'd use one of those depending on register.

so something like

'Une femme rassembleur, femme d\'un grand coeur et d\'amour envers nous tous\'

a warm-hearted (motherly) figure/mother hen type, uniting/binding us all with her love

a warm-hearted loving woman bringing/binding us together with her love

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-19 16:12:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

last line above should be
a warm-hearted loving woman bringing/binding us ALL together with her love

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2019-08-20 10:00:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Glad to help

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 13:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Yvonne, in fact your translation of the entire phrase is very useful and I will use it


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  B D Finch
1 min
  -> Many thanks:-)

agree  writeaway: nice options
4 mins
  -> Many thanks:-)

agree  ormiston: What about "unifying force" ? https://www.wral.com › mother-... Mother Teresa serves as unifying force among differing religions, races ... But NOT mother hen Definition of mother hen : a person who assumes an overly protective maternal attitude
29 mins
  -> Many thanks:-) "unifying force" would work too//mother hen isn't negative necessarily. She brings everyone (disparate elements of family) together. Nice examples here: https://muchtreasure.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/leadership-les...

neutral  philgoddard: We've already had the idea of "unifier", but I like "mother hen".
30 mins
  -> I don't agree with "organizer". She may well be organised but that's not the point here at all.

agree  Simon Charass: a unifying motherly figure
44 mins
  -> Many thanks:-) yes, various combinations work

agree  Yolanda Broad
1 hr
  -> Many thanks:-)

agree  Stephanie Benoist
5 hrs
  -> Many thanks:-)

disagree  Mpoma: This "mother hen" idea is speculation, not translation, unless you can prove otherwise by references. I sense some unfortunate cultural projection going on here.
19 hrs
  -> I disagree with your interpretation of this
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1 day 1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a matriarc/a matriarchal figure


Explanation:
Hello
This came to mind and I'm surprised that no one has suggested it yet as far as I can see

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Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2019-08-20 16:15:50 GMT)
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matriarch (erreur de frappe, désolé)

SafeTex
France
Local time: 14:25
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  ormiston: Perhaps because strictly it places the emphasis on maternal rule/authority which deviates from the notion of someone who brings the family together
12 mins
  -> Noted and thanks for not giving it a disagree which it would not have merited.

neutral  Mpoma: "rassembleur" simply doesn't have this connotation. So you're interpolating/guessing, on the tenuous grounds that he's talking about his (step-)mother. Had the writer meant this there are plenty of ways to say, infer or imply it.
5 hrs
  -> Hello Mpoma "Matriarch" is not limited to "mothers"; It is used for tribes and societies
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
woman who was a unifier / organiser


Explanation:
I suppose that's probably what it means. In a polygamous context with lots of half-siblings you are probably going to need someone who can organise but at the same time achieve a reasonable level of harmony and consensus amongst the offspring.

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Note added at 20 hrs (2019-08-20 11:53:36 GMT)
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A "rassembleur" is someone who's good at achieving consensus. "Inclusive" is another nice way of putting it.

I think I might put the whole phrase like this:
"She was a woman who always wanted everyone to be happy, a woman with a big heart, who loved us all".

Yes, this is a long expression for a single word in the French! But the more I think about it the more I think this sort of idea is the intended meaning.

I prefer "with a big heart" to "warm-hearted" because it is closer to the meaning of the French "gros coeur": it means "exceptionally generous with her emotions" and perhaps a little larger-than-life.

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Note added at 1 day 6 hrs (2019-08-20 21:33:55 GMT)
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"grand coeur"...

Mpoma
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:25
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard
20 mins

agree  B D Finch: Or, who united the family. I don't think "organiser" is right, though organising ability was probably involved.
35 mins
  -> Yes, organising ability. I suspect there is a also a more practical side to this "rassemblement" but can't prove it of course.

disagree  Yvonne Gallagher: I don't agree with "organizer". She may well be organised but that's not the point here at all.
19 hrs
  -> see discussion
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1 day 15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Someone who brings everyone together


Explanation:
You could add "a woman" to the following phrase. The French need not be reflected word for word.

ormiston
Local time: 14:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
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