pelota valenciana

14:28 Aug 10, 2019 

Many, many years ago, in my native Venezuela, there was a long back-and-forth in one of our local newspapers regarding the proper way to write México. While both ways are apparently acceptable, what clinched it for me was when someone said "México" is how Mexicans like it. So, I vote for PILOTA.

11:48 Aug 10, 2019 

That's true enough, but what are we to do? You could add a description of the game in parentheses after "Valencian pilota". But comparisons with other games are only going to be any help if the reader is familiar with those other games. Take fives, for example. Quite a lot of English speakers have probably heard of it, but I am pretty sure that only a small minority have any idea of how it's played, so the comparison will not shed much light. You might say something like "a game somewhat similar to tennis in which the ball is struck with the hand rather than with a racquet". But that's not a translation; it's an explanation.

In any case, I'm not sure it's as bad as all that. Many people have heard of pelota and will guess that a game called pilota is probably similar. And anyway, if this text is discussing varieties of pilota such as galotxa it's probably not aimed at readers with no notion of the game at all.

This is not a version of another game and it would be wrong to say that it is.

11:03 Aug 10, 2019 

We ought to be wary of assuming basic Spanish knowledge in an average English-speaking reader, even professionals. The majority of British expats in Spain I know bandy about terms like 'escritura' without even realising what it means.

10:35 Aug 10, 2019 

To put it plainly: this game is called pilota valenciana. Its only English name is Valencian pilota (or pelota). There is nothing else you can call it. Basque pelota, not to mention fives, are different games.

10:31 Aug 10, 2019 

I don't think there's anything to argue about, personally. In my opinion, interesting though it may be to compare this with the many more or less similar games that exist in different parts of the world, such comparisons are beside the point for translation purposes.

10:19 Aug 10, 2019 

Perhaps someone would like to stay on-topic and take the fives vs. badminton & squash Spanish regional-variations ball and run with it: www.linguee.com/spanish-english/translation/juega al squash...

08:57 Aug 10, 2019 

And all the more so since Compromís took over.

On university names: it's same with UVEG. You have to be careful here, because the Valencian (i.e., Catalan) form of the university's name is its official name, and in theory, if you put "Universidad de Valencia" instead of "Universitat de València" as your affiiliation on an academic article, it may not be officially recognised by the university, which means it doesn't count towards your sexenio etc.

I'm finding a lot of sensitivity over this generally in Valencia at the moment, particularly since the Catalan business came to a head. My valencianista friends have generally become more militant about linguistic matters.

08:46 Aug 10, 2019 

Many Valencian institutions now prefer to used the Valencian spelling, for example, the UPV no longer wants its name to be translated in official documents.

21:22 Aug 9, 2019 

I would personally favour the Valencian (or Catalan) spelling. This game is very strongly associated with Valencian-speaking culture, and I think it's an appropriate mark of respect for that culture not to Castilianise it, even though the Castilian spelling "pelota" is more famliar in English.