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  3. Photography/Imaging (& Graphic Arts)

ex-nihilo

10:03 Jan 29, 2008
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Photography/Imaging (& Graphic Arts)
French term or phrase: ex-nihilo
"La prestation porte sur la création ex-nihilo, puis la gestion et l’hébergement d’une banque de deux milles (2000) images destinée la promotion du tourisme"
Hello, how would you deal with "ex-nihilo" here, I understand that it's "from scratch" but I need to be more formal as it's a contract. Can I keep "ex-nihilo" in English or is it only used in French?
claire waddington


Summary of answers provided
4Keep it
Cervin
4ex-nihilo
Poornima Iyengar


  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Keep it


Explanation:
Keep it with a tranlstor's note. See;
http://www.bartleby.com/61/77/E0277700.html
ex nihilo

SYLLABICATION: ex ni·hi·lo
PRONUNCIATION: ks n-l, n-, n-
ADVERB & ADJECTIVE: Out of nothing.
ETYMOLOGY: Latin ex nihil : ex, out of + nihil, ablative of nihil, nothing.


Cervin
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
ex-nihilo


Explanation:
E.g. 1
The movie on the oil painting is actually an exercise in understanding the ideology behind every image. It is not a simple imitation of the film (hyperrealist painting) but it is not a pure construction of the image either (abstract painting). Between the mimesis and the anarchistic creation ex nihilo a new dimension emerges – the painting as a critique and an interpretation of all images and media.

Explanation:
It means: nothing may come from nothing. This phrase is from Lucretius who was a Roman poet. Its original meaning is 'work is required to succeed', but its modern meaning is a more general 'everything has its origins in something' (cf. causality). It is commonly applied to the conservation laws in philosophy and science. Ex nihilo often used in conjunction with the term creation, as in creation ex nihilo, meaning 'creation, out of nothing'. It is often used in philosophy or theology in connection with the proposition that God created the universe from nothing.

You can use it as 'creation ex nihilo' in English as well.

Hope this helps


    Reference: http://www.blognow.com.au/strangephrasesandquotations
Poornima Iyengar
Local time: 22:52
Native speaker of: English
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