Bonus: Onomastic question

Okay, so how are those names translational equivalents?

Here is some help for Madariaga, from Ancestry.com:

Madariaga Name Meaning

Basque: habitational name from any of various places in Gipuzkoa province named Madariaga from Basque madari ‘pear tree’ + the locative suffix -aga ‘place or group of’. Compare Madriaga and Maradiaga .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=madariaga

And then note that, as a noun in German, Mandelbaum would mean almond tree. 

Can we call it? As close-enough? 

BTW, question for fans, is the little bear a recurring character? Is he often addressed by name?

Oh, wait! Why is it they can’t they play with her today? Because she is too busy reading and levitating? 

12 Comments

  1. Unknown's avatar

    Oh, it’s not just a German common noun, it’s quite familiar as a surname too,

  2. Unknown's avatar

    Thanks, Danny; though I didn’t mean to imply it is not a name. I’ve known my share of Mandels as well as Mandelbaums.

  3. Unknown's avatar

    Names are often changed for translations in ways that makes no sense. Why is Clifford the Big Red Dog “Bertrand” en Francais?

  4. Unknown's avatar

    Why is “Wally” translated to “Waldo” when it isn’t even offensive in that flavor of English??

  5. Unknown's avatar

    I agree that there is absolutely no reason to object to the translator altering “pear” to “almond”, especially considering that both names are well-established in their respective languages. However, considering how the bear† has been composed from a selection of spheres, it might have been punnier to use “Mandelbrot” for the English name.

    P.S. † – I have never seen that bear, nor either name in any previous Macanudo strip, and at first glance, the coloration here gave me the impression that it might be a live frog, rather than a stuffed bear.

    P.P.S. As long as we are debating minor translational alterations, it’s worth mentioning that the English dialogue introduces a connotation of “permission” that is not present in the original Spanish, which literally reads “…we are going to play…”, rather than “…get…”.

  6. Unknown's avatar

    Don’t know about the translations, but when I’m deep into a book? I’m not up for anybody else’s nonsense.

  7. Unknown's avatar

    Thread drift . . . the patch of grass in front of her makes it look like she’s levitating and it’s her shadow.

    A good book will do that to you, ya know.

  8. Unknown's avatar

    Max C. Webster, III said,

    A good book will do that to you, ya know.

    She is levitating, she really gets into her books. 

  9. Unknown's avatar

    Don’t leave out the favorite of many – mandelbrot. A very nice, if hard, flatish loaf of cookie which is sliced before being served. Particularly common during Passover as it does not need to rise. 

    As well as another Passover treat – mandel – little balls of dough which are cooked and then added to soup when it is being eaten. 

    (Hard to find yummy things to eat during Passover.)

  10. Unknown's avatar

    Here are Mandelbaum and Madariaga making a return appearance:

    There’s a h/t (heart-tip) to a Spielberg, but I don’t know who/which/what.

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