Same Word, Different Meaning - Portuguese Funcionário
It is not uncommon that inexperienced Portuguese translators assume that a word that is written the same and sound the same in two languages mean the same thing. WATCH OUT, because this is seldom the case.
Take for example the word "funcionário" in Portuguese and the word "funcionario" Spanish. In Brazilian Portuguese translation the word "funcionário / funcionária" can fit all positions in an organization (any employee). It implies actor or bearers of a function; hence, the prefix "funcio-". In a general text, for instance low level employees and high directors and executives are both referred to as "funcionários".
In Spanish the word funcionario ONLY refers to high level directors or officials, and is never used to describe general employees.
A somewhat more diminishing term for "employee", on the other hand (and, purposely, which should be avoided) is "empregado / empregada", which could be used to translate the word "employee". But the term "empregada" (fem.) in Br-Pt has turned to attract the meaning of a "household cleaning lady", which sounds embarrassing in a corporate environment. And also because "empregado" (masc.) has a politically-correctness issue to it, in what it might imply someone employed but who receives no payment (it means that the pearson is "placed in", but not necessarily is paid for his work). Some people can even refer to "empregado" as a "slave".
Some companies sometimes choose the term "colaborador / colaboradora", but the employees themselves explain that they do not like that term, because it also may imply that he/she only "collaborates", but do not receive salary for that "collaboration". In Br-Pt, the verb "colaborar" has lost the original meaning of "work" [labore] "together" [co-] and been attached to the meaning of "social work" / "collaborative work" / "volunteer work" or simply a "help" provided without payment.
Our friend and collaborator Dorival Santos Scaliante shared this information with LanguageTrna.
Take for example the word "funcionário" in Portuguese and the word "funcionario" Spanish. In Brazilian Portuguese translation the word "funcionário / funcionária" can fit all positions in an organization (any employee). It implies actor or bearers of a function; hence, the prefix "funcio-". In a general text, for instance low level employees and high directors and executives are both referred to as "funcionários".
In Spanish the word funcionario ONLY refers to high level directors or officials, and is never used to describe general employees.
A somewhat more diminishing term for "employee", on the other hand (and, purposely, which should be avoided) is "empregado / empregada", which could be used to translate the word "employee". But the term "empregada" (fem.) in Br-Pt has turned to attract the meaning of a "household cleaning lady", which sounds embarrassing in a corporate environment. And also because "empregado" (masc.) has a politically-correctness issue to it, in what it might imply someone employed but who receives no payment (it means that the pearson is "placed in", but not necessarily is paid for his work). Some people can even refer to "empregado" as a "slave".
Some companies sometimes choose the term "colaborador / colaboradora", but the employees themselves explain that they do not like that term, because it also may imply that he/she only "collaborates", but do not receive salary for that "collaboration". In Br-Pt, the verb "colaborar" has lost the original meaning of "work" [labore] "together" [co-] and been attached to the meaning of "social work" / "collaborative work" / "volunteer work" or simply a "help" provided without payment.
Our friend and collaborator Dorival Santos Scaliante shared this information with LanguageTrna.
Labels: False Cognates
posted by Gurudev Singh at
12:02 PM
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