different-but the same
Another idea, kind of similar, so maybe can be posted in this forum:
are you interested in tracing how far an expression has traveled, from language to language, staying unchanged?
What I mean is someting like:
_ quand le chat n'est pas la, les souries dancent
_ when the cat is away, the mice come out to play
There must be a lot of expressions that can be translated nearly word for word in several languages.
I am curious to find out how far they can travel, and mostly the reasons why: is it because they are recent (movies, songs, ...), or really ancient (latin, greek origin ?)
Some may not "travel" at all: we talked not long ago about "raining cats & dogs". I don't think it translates in French.
Does it translate in other parts of the world where tornadoes & hurricanes are commun ? (Asia ?)
Can anybody give examples of unchanged expressions, maybe in 3 languages? in 4?
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