Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
famille recomposée
English translation:
blended family / reconstituted family
Added to glossary by
Anne-Marie Grant (X)
Jun 20, 2009 19:42
14 yrs ago
5 viewers *
French term
France
Traductions soignées et fiables
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: French to English
famille recomposée
FVA
Not for points
French to English
Social Sciences
Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
family type
I suppose that this is a neat way of decribing a family unit where one or both partners live together with children from previous relationships.
Is there is similar neat way of translating this into English?
Is there is similar neat way of translating this into English?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +4 | blended family |
Anne-Marie Grant (X)
|
| 4 +4 | reconstituted family |
polyglot45
|
| 3 | step family |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
|
Change log
Jun 20, 2009 23:12: Anne-Marie Grant (X) Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+4
(+3
from peers meeting criteria)
45 mins
Selected
blended family
http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/blended-families.htm
This is how I've heard them described.
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Note added at 1 hr (2009-06-20 20:44:06 GMT)
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Although both the suggested answers make it sound as though we're talking about custard!
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Note added at 14 hrs (2009-06-21 10:23:00 GMT) Post-grading
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David - to me, second family would be used in the context of someone remarrying/living with a new partner and starting another family. The children of the two different relationships would not be raised together.
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Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2009-06-21 23:19:59 GMT) Post-grading
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Google 'blended family' and 'reconstituted family' and they both get millions of hits. If you're worried about the term not being understood, you could always explain it in your translation the first time you use it. I'm not sure that composite family is any clearer. Anyway - it's your decision!
This is how I've heard them described.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2009-06-20 20:44:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Although both the suggested answers make it sound as though we're talking about custard!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2009-06-21 10:23:00 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
David - to me, second family would be used in the context of someone remarrying/living with a new partner and starting another family. The children of the two different relationships would not be raised together.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2009-06-21 23:19:59 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Google 'blended family' and 'reconstituted family' and they both get millions of hits. If you're worried about the term not being understood, you could always explain it in your translation the first time you use it. I'm not sure that composite family is any clearer. Anyway - it's your decision!
Note from asker:
| Thank you for your suggestions. I agree that 'blended family' and 'reconstituted family' have connotations of custard! I have simply never heard of these terms being used in English. By contrast, 'famille recomposée' does seem to be part of everyday language in French (although it is not in any of my dictionnaries. There are entries, both French and English, in Wikipedia, of course). I have heard the French term used on a number of occasions on the TF1 news that I watch most evenings. Obviously there are some things that just don't carry over into other langauges. In this case, my own hunch is just to sidestep the problem and not seek a direct equivalent. I wonder if one could get away with 'second family'? |
| Thanks, Anne-Marie. Yes, I can see the problem with 'second family'. But I simply don't like the sound of 'blended' and 'reconstituted' and I doubt that these terms would be widely understood by most Ebglish people. Someone else has submitted 'step family', which seems to have a different sense to me. I'm now wondering about 'composite family', which at least sounds a bit better. |
Comment: "First validated answer (validated by peer agreement)"
+4
(+1
from peers meeting criteria)
5 mins
polyglot45
Native in French
&
English
Native in: English 
, French
Works in: English to French, French to English, German to French, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
22
reconstituted family
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Valentina Viganò
4 mins
|
| agree |
Emanuela Galdelli
: yes, recomposed too
7 mins
|
| agree |
writeaway
: you don't meet the criteria-so guess what-your answer is right but it doesn't even count!
3 hrs
|
|
what is this weird system?
|
|
| agree |
Valerie SYKES (meets criteria)
: 'Reconstituted' seems to be widely used, but there are also plenty of entries on gogle for 'recomposed'.
13 hrs
|
Comment: "First validated answer (validated by peer agreement)"
15 hrs
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native in English
Works in field
Psychologist, Court-certified legal
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
step family
Used commonly, even if the new family is not one in which the couple have remarried.
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