Fan

English translation: Father

21:25 Aug 25, 2016
Danish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Danish term or phrase: Fan
This word appears in a handwritten document, so perhaps I've misinterpreted the writing? At any rate, this letter was written in 1907 in Wisconsin from a son to his father back in Denmark. The son apparently left the parents at a young age. He writes: "Jeg har ikke kundet være noget for mine forældre, og de har ikke kundet hjælpe mig naara det gjælt mest, og de kjender mig ikke og jeg kjender ikke dem, men maaske den mægtige Gud har gjort det saaledes fordi at det var til vort Gavn. Men jeg maa jo da ha holdt meget af (j)er Fan thi ellers maatte vel Længselen engang have stoppet, og som ung bad jeg Gud at jeg aldrig maatte gjøre mine Forældre Sorg." I believe he's saying: "But I must have been very fond of you(r) ***, for otherwise the longing would have stopped at some point..." I just can't figure out what this word "Fan" might mean! (By the way, the word clearly starts with "Fa" but the last part could be "n," "u," "ll" or something on that order. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Timoshka
Local time: 18:05
English translation:Father
Explanation:
As it is a handwritten document, I simply think you misread the last letter - it should be "r"
Selected response from:

aic
Local time: 00:05
Grading comment
Tack!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2Father
aic
1 +1damn
Tomasz Sienicki


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +1
damn


Explanation:
Perhaps it is just Fa’n! (fanden), used as an exclamation:

Men jeg maa jo da ha holdt meget af jer, Fa’n, thi ellers maatte vel Længselen engang have stoppet!

Tomasz Sienicki
Denmark
Local time: 00:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hanne Rask Sonderborg: He-he, yes, maybe he hung out with a lot of Swedes. They would say "Fa'n", not "for fanden"!
10 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Father


Explanation:
As it is a handwritten document, I simply think you misread the last letter - it should be "r"

aic
Local time: 00:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DanishDanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Tack!
Notes to answerer
Asker: If the last letter is "r," then the word would have to read: Faer. Is that a possible contraction of "Fader"? I know one would expect "Far," but there are too many loops in there to simply be that.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Signe Golly: Could very well be 'Fader' in a letter from that time (more likely than 'Far', I'd say) - especially since he also writes 'Bedstefader' rather than simply 'Bedstefar'.
8 hrs

agree  Michele Fauble: This makes most sense in the context (a letter from a son to his father).
19 hrs
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