Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

El lenguaje es una legislación, la lengua es el código.

English translation:

Language is legislation, speech is its code.

Added to glossary by John Cutler
Apr 5, 2007 14:05
17 yrs ago
Spanish term

El lenguaje es una legislación, la lengua es el código.

Spanish to English Art/Literary Music Dancing
It appearts in the context of an interview. She is a spanish artist that gives her personal definition of language. I'm having troubles because there is not such a distinction in English as far asd I know. How would you translate it?

Proposed translations

+3
46 mins
Selected

Language is legislation, speech is its code.

NO puedo decir que la traducción es mía. Diría que la cantante citaba Roland Barthes.

Mire las referencias a continuación:

http://www.poemhunter.com/quotations/famous.asp?people=Rolan...

Language is legislation, speech is its code. We do not see the power which is in speech because we forget that all speech is a classification, and that all classifications are oppressive.

(Roland Barthes (1915-1980), French semiologist. inaugural lecture, Jan. 7, 1977, Collège de France; repr. In Barthes: Selected Writings (1982). Lecon (1978).)

http://www.revistacontratiempo.com.ar/leccion.htm

El lenguaje es una legislación, la lengua es su código. No vemos el poder que hay en la lengua porque olvidamos que toda lengua es una clasificación...
Peer comment(s):

agree Danae Lucia Ferri
10 mins
Thanks!
agree Adriana de Groote
29 mins
Thanks!
agree Amy Billing : I realise I have my own suggestion above but I far prefer this one!
1 hr
Thanks! I've done the same of agreeing with someone else after giving my own answer. It shows a teachable attitude.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks a lot! I think I will go for this one. Yes, she quotes B. and his idea of power. "
6 mins

Language is a legislation/law, tongue is the code

just an idea
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10 mins

language is a legislation, lingo is the code.

Regards.
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31 mins

Language as a whole is like general legislation while peoples own languages are specific codes.

Another suggestion - as I think you already realise, lenguaje refers to the overall concept of "language" while "lengua" refers to the individual languages people speak, reflected in the idea of "legislation" as a broad idea and a "code" as an individual part of the legislation.
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37 mins

Language is a legislation, speech is the code

Suerte
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+1
1 hr

Language is just a framework - the meaning is in the words.

OK, it's not a 'translation', but that's what I feel it means ....
Peer comment(s):

agree Patrice : True, no need to be literal.
1 day 6 hrs
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