Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

plebeyismo

English translation:

crudeness

Added to glossary by Wendy Gosselin
Jan 20, 2017 20:13
7 yrs ago
Spanish term

plebeyismo

Spanish to English Art/Literary Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. class, sociodemographics
This phrase (plebeyismo) means "actividades asociadas con las clases bajas", my translation is about cumbia villera musicians and their celebration of drugs, weapons etc. in their lyrics:

[…] las expresiones de la cumbia y el sentido que les daban sus oyentes no pretendían ser una denuncia programática... Pero eso no quiere decir que se sumergieran en un plebeyismo autodegradante, o que se las debiera rechazar desde el punto de vista de un ciudadano de clase media alta (que comete otras ilegalidades pero repudia estas).

I know "plebianism" would be a literal translation but I was looking for a word a little more commonly used in English--?

Discussion

Helena Chavarria Jan 20, 2017:
Why don't you try searching for a synonym of plebianism? I find synonyms can be very helpful sometimes.

Proposed translations

+1
3 days 14 hrs
Selected

crudeness

I agree with you that the concepts of plebian/ proletarian are seldom referred to in English and feel that using either of these terms actually takes you away from the original meaning and register as they wouldn't often be used in such texts in English. To me, crudeness is an equivalent term that would be more likely to be used by an English speaker.
Peer comment(s):

agree Francois Boye
9 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks!"
+1
26 mins

(self-degrading) proletarianism

Suggestion
Peer comment(s):

agree neilmac : This probably works better for a UK audience, to whom "chavism" is mainly Essex-based. I do like "plebeianism", though ...
15 hrs
Thanks, Neil. What have you got against Essex?!
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31 mins

subculture

This has a similar meaning and might work.
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+1
3 hrs

plebianism

I often find that the cognate is the best solution. Since you are translating a serious text, I think you would be safer sticking to the original meaning rather than trying to reinterpret it.
Peer comment(s):

agree JohnMcDove : Yes. Or better yet, "plebeianism" https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/plebeianism
6 hrs
Thanks, John!
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1 day 6 hrs

ill-mannered style

my take
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