Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2010 April 22

Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

April 22

Italian translation

The name of an Italian TV show is Ciak... si canta!. What does this mean in English? The show is essentially a contest among singers. I can't seem to find an English translation for the first word (Ciak) anywhere. Thanks! (64.252.65.146 (talk) 01:32, 22 April 2010 (UTC))

If it's the same usage, Ciak (Italian magazine) could just be a name they made up. I doubt that the letter K is used that much in Italian. The si canta part has to do with singing. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:40, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

OK, this might be it. Ciak is a clapperboard, as per the Italian wikipedia which conveniently translates it to English.[1] The magazine title probably comes from that also. If you think about how ciak would likely be pronounced, "chock", it's probably imitative of the sound a clapperboard makes. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:45, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

An Italian expert needs to step in here, but I'm guessing that the meaning they're conveying to their audience would be something like, "Ready... sing!" ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:48, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

Ciak... si canta is a pun on Ciak, si gira, wich means "action!" (on a film set), ciak being an onomatopeia (native Italian words usually don't have JKWXY, but onomatopoeias are an exception). "Si canta" means, more or less, it's singing time!.--151.51.15.200 (talk) 02:03, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

Great! Thanks for the feedback ... it was very helpful. Now, it makes sense. Thank you! (64.252.65.146 (talk) 22:30, 26 April 2010 (UTC))

Translation

Les rois de Chypre le portèrent ensuite, ou l'attribuèrent à leurs fils cadets. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Queen Elizabeth II's Little Spy (talk • contribs) 05:38, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

"The kings of Cyprus then carried it, or bestowed it on their younger sons" (probably referring to one of the appanages of Jerusalem/Cyprus?) Adam Bishop (talk) 06:10, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

sounds more like a name or title than a physical object. --Xuxl (talk) 17:23, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

Correct, must be about a title. --Lgriot (talk) 05:28, 23 April 2010 (UTC)

The sentence is from the French Wiki [Liste des princes d'Antioche], "it" refers to the title of Prince d'Antioche (Prince of Antioch). — AldoSyrt (talk) 06:56, 23 April 2010 (UTC)