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vissenhet
læresti

Glossary entry

Norwegian term or phrase:

postbud

English translation:

mail carrier

Added to glossary by Richard Green
Jun 27, 2013 16:04
10 yrs ago
Norwegian term

postbud

Norwegian to English Bus/Financial Transport / Transportation / Shipping Mail delivery
This is a report about mail delivery in Norway. I would dearly love to translate this as "postman", but I know that it won't be accepted by the client.

Does anyone have any nice, succinct alternatives which are better than "postman/woman" or "mail delivery operative". I don't think "postal worker" will be sufficient, unfortunately, as we're looking specifically at the delivery of mail rather than other aspects of the Norwegian postal service.

Many thanks in advance.

Richard
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 mail carrier
5 postal worker
5 letter carrier
5 mail man
3 postman/postma'am

Discussion

Charlesp Jul 5, 2013:
P.S. How about... I don't think that a "letter carrier" delivers only letters. And what is "mail" anyway, a broader concept than letters?


How about... "employee of the post office" ? -- that's a lot better than "mail delivery worker," which isn't so accurate by the way, as they also deliver money from the bank and wine/sprits from Systembolaget.
Charlesp Jul 5, 2013:
Okay... Now that's an interesting concept. But will anyone understand it?
Richard Green (asker) Jul 1, 2013:
Client has changed its mind... You may be interested to know that the client has now changed its mind again to "mail delivery worker".
Peter Smedskjaer-Stenland Jun 30, 2013:
Actually, I answered mail man, but when Richard said it has to be gender neutral, I withdrew the answer.
Charlesp Jun 29, 2013:
So it's "none of the above" Actually "mailman" is probably the best here, though is it "gender neutral"?
Richard Green (asker) Jun 29, 2013:
Client wants "mailman" My client came back to me and says it wants "mailman" as the translation. Fair enough!
Thanks all anyway for your suggestions. I appreciate the discussion.
Charlesp Jun 29, 2013:
a comment I have a problem with "mail carrier" (or postal worker), as this is US English (though I wouldn't disagree with mail carrier).
Peter Smedskjaer-Stenland Jun 28, 2013:
Is there a specific dialect of English this needs to be in?
Richard Green (asker) Jun 28, 2013:
Thanks all I'm really aiming for gender neutrality here, this being a Norwegian client. Perhaps you remember the debate in the UK years ago about the change from "fireman" to "firefighter", and I think a similar debate regarding "milkman", as the roles were no longer solely being performed by men, and I think the same can be said for postmen.
Charlesp Jun 27, 2013:
What's wrong with "postman"? That's what everybody call them in the UK.

Proposed translations

+3
8 mins
Selected

mail carrier

This is the American term given in my dictionary. Maybe that could work.
Peer comment(s):
agree kyrrelaastad (X) : Or postal carrier. See here for more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_carrier
31 mins
agree jeffrey engberg : postman, mailman, letter-carrier....
38 mins
agree eodd : I don't see why the client is so resistent to the use of postman. Mailman or mail carrier are fine if they want US English. See http://utdanning.no/yrker/beskrivelse/postbud
51 mins
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "This answer receives the points because it is gender neutral, which is what I intimated I wanted, regardless of what the client has said it prefers, and also it is a more specific translation of what a "postbud" does, i.e., carry mail to the final address and pick up mail to go to the sorting office. "Letter carrier" implies only letters, rather than other items, while "postal worker" could be any sort of task, from sorting, loading, logistics, as well as the postman/woman/mail carrier."
20 hrs

postal worker

Postal worker is the USPS term for an employee of the USPS, including mail carriers.
Note from asker:
Thank you, but this is too broad.
Something went wrong...
2 days 45 mins

letter carrier

Apparently, "letter carrier" was the official term in the UK, and perhaps we'll bring it back.


"In the Royal Mail, the official name changed from "letter carrier" to "postman" in 1883 ... "

Please not the term "postie" -- and "Postal Service Mail Carrier" (really!).

"Postal Carrier" also sounds odd.

And since you want gender neutral, "mail lady" ain't gonna work. But then why not "postman/postwoman" ?

I still say "mail carrier" is too American. --- even though "mail carrier" would be understood.
Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_carrier

Note from asker:
A good suggestion, Charles, although letters excludes things like small packets and parcels which "mail carriers" sometimes also deliver as part of their round.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

postman/postma'am

Well, it's a suggestion.

Even not one commonly in use.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2013-06-27 17:06:39 GMT)
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ok, then how about "post lady"?

Nah, how about postman/postwoman ?

Nah, I like my first suggestion better.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days46 mins (2013-06-29 16:50:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I know I should delete this, as otherwise it is a situation of multiple answers.

Howeve I still like my suggestion of postman/postma'am.
Note from asker:
Another fine suggestion Charles, which I think would fit well in a more literary context, although I've had to be a bit more "mainstream" here.
Something went wrong...
2 days 20 hrs

mail man

Resubmitting my first answer, since it turns out gender neutrality is not needed after all.
Something went wrong...
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