21-01-2023, 11:07 AM
That's weird, in Dutch "zeldzaam" does mean rare, without the notion of strange.
Of course these two meanings are interconnected, because for something to be strange it must be relatively uncommon, and something that is uncommon is also more likely to be considered strange. In Dutch, "raar" means weird, while in English "rare" means uncommon.
In modern German, seltsam means weird. But it used to have the meaning of "Selten" : You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Just like in the English cognate "seldom", there used to be a component of infrequency. .
Since manuscripts in this context are more likely to be described as rare, I think the translation is correct. The translation of "allerlai" as a couple is wrong though, since a couple in English is understood as two or three or four.. while he estimates the number at around ten. More importantly, allerlei implies diversity, not amount.
Of course these two meanings are interconnected, because for something to be strange it must be relatively uncommon, and something that is uncommon is also more likely to be considered strange. In Dutch, "raar" means weird, while in English "rare" means uncommon.
In modern German, seltsam means weird. But it used to have the meaning of "Selten" : You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Just like in the English cognate "seldom", there used to be a component of infrequency. .
Since manuscripts in this context are more likely to be described as rare, I think the translation is correct. The translation of "allerlai" as a couple is wrong though, since a couple in English is understood as two or three or four.. while he estimates the number at around ten. More importantly, allerlei implies diversity, not amount.