fineesh
English translation: finish?
| 23:33 Nov 10, 2010 |
| Arabic to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Old Egyptian Book | |||||||
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|  Selected response from: Nesrin United Kingdom Local time: 07:43 | ||||||
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| Summary of answers provided | ||||
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| 4 | fineesh (leave as is) |
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| 1 +3 | finish? |
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| 2 | I can not |
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| Discussion entries: 1 | |
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Answers
48 mins confidence: 
I can not Explanation: I can't. I wonder why "can't" gets messed up. I am not sure about Egyptian, but this is the translation of this word which is said in other neighboring countries. I will be willing to remove this answer if a better one is posted. Salaam, Lamis |
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1 hr confidence:
fineesh (leave as is) Explanation: This story has already been published in English (Cleopatra, by H. Rider Haggard) and I found your excerpt as is, as well as: "Good-bye, 'Mafish*Fineesh*, as Ali Baba always said." I guess the deceased was not given any farewell... Reference: http://books.google.ca/books?id=vqLQx6sX5BgC&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&... Reference: http://manybooks.net/titles/haggardhetext01clptr10.html# |
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1 hr confidence: peer agreement (net): +3
peer agreement (net): +3finish? Explanation: While Lamis's answer is correct for some Arab countries, it's not really used in Egypt in the sens of "I can not". Although I don't get what he's saying (is it a joke?) I think it might be English word "finish" as pronounced by someone who doesn't speak English, and maybe used in the sense of "it's over"... -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-11-11 00:50:46 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- ...Interesting answer by Frensp! Why would Ali Baba say "Mafish fineesh" for good-bye? Sounds to me like something the author of Cleopatra made up cause it sounded funny to him! -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-11-11 00:59:58 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- I just read (on the Google Books link provided by Frensp), pages 2-4 of the Cleopatra novel which I think you're reading too. The boy Ali is the one repeating mafish and fineesh almost randomly. At one point he says "Him very funny mummy. Him not mafish when him go in there". The narrator replies "Nonsense! Whoever heard of a live mummy!" I think the author wants to say that Ali is using "mafish" (which really means "there is none") to mean "dead" - the mummy was still alive when they put it in the coffin. Similarly, I think Ali is meant to be using "fineesh" (the English word "finish") in the same sense as mafish, in your quote "Bury great hurry, he no 'mafish', no 'fineesh'. " Ali then goes on to say "mafish fineesh" in the sense of "good-bye". Methinks the author just ran out of "Arabic" words to use!!! |
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