TROPICAL SUBQUENTE

22:00 Mar 30, 2010 

I wish they could all be like this!!

21:12 Mar 30, 2010 

...and I agree that 'subquente' is a rather improvised and somewhat ugly attempt at describing tropical conditions as being rather less 'hot' than originally envisioned. You're right, Muriel; the humidity is much more extreme than the actual heat. For example; it's much hotter in Brasilia, in central Brazil, than in the Amazonian region. I personally would go for 'sub-hot' with a brief explanation in brackets (less hot than standard tropical conditions) + a few notes to the agency... Cheers :)

21:11 Mar 30, 2010 

well, yes, of course - I agree really, just wondering - there must be an accepted term!

21:05 Mar 30, 2010 

geographical location in the Temperate Zone? My understanding is that any description of 'temperate' or 'tropical' climate stems first from the area's location in one or the other of these zones. From there it is further modified to reflect other characteristics.

20:59 Mar 30, 2010 

but I just think it was an ad hoc attempt to clarify that it's not a 'hot tropical climate'.
I was on an expedition in the Amazon jungle (in Peru) very near the Equator and was amazed that the weather wasn't hot.

20:58 Mar 30, 2010 

as per added below to answer

20:37 Mar 30, 2010 

...but logic states that the original term 'subquente' ISN'T commonly used terminology either and so how do you translate that? Not as "warm".

20:32 Mar 30, 2010 

Richard, I agree with your logic. However, 'warm tropical climate' is common usage, even in scientific texts (as I showed in my examples). General Theory of Terminology states that you always choose the term most widely used unless there are serious reasons not to. The motivation for this rule is to prevent the proliferation of competing terms, which confuse people, reduce the efficiency of communication, and use up time and resources because they give rise to debates.

19:45 Mar 30, 2010 

Actually, I was dreaming about this - there you go, must be going bonkers. When you say something is "warm" you quite clearly state what type of temperature range it is, but it isn't related to any other form of climate condition, i.e. it could be warm as opposed to cold. I'm not being cheeky; that was my instinct. However, when you use the word "sub" you quite clearly offset the word against "hot", i.e. we know much more about the temperature and how it compares with typical conditions and that it's LESS hot than normal - an important distinction. "Warm" doesn't provide us with any extra information.

23:05 Mar 29, 2010 

I think it probably isn't sub-tropical, but does the IGBE have a name for it in Eng.? http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climas_no_Brasil http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/

22:49 Mar 29, 2010 

I think of those words for bath water, not climate. I looked up "clima morno" and got a few references, but I'm not convinced that it's as warm as "subquente". I really do think that "subquente" is an attempt to fill the gap for 'warm' in English.

22:24 Mar 29, 2010 

What about 'morno' or 'tépido' ? Technically correct, although in frequent use I can't say.

22:19 Mar 29, 2010 

I can't think of a PT word that refers to climate that means 'warm' - "calido" is hotter than warm.

22:12 Mar 29, 2010 

Of course PT has a word that is less than 'quente', Muriel. Good question though :)

22:12 Mar 29, 2010 

I agree with Richard that in this case the discussion is about a less-than-hot climate within a tropical region - not a subtropical region.

22:10 Mar 29, 2010 

'subtropical'

22:09 Mar 29, 2010 

excuse my ignorance, but what is the standard (Br. ) term for "sub-tropical" anyway?

22:08 Mar 29, 2010 

Portuguese does not have a word that is less than "quente" to qualify a lower degree of heat--but we do have a word in English that makes the distinction--i.e. 'warm'.

22:08 Mar 29, 2010 

The question regarding the use of 'sub' tropical as opposed to a different adjective to describe a tropical climate is whether the area is actually within the tropical area and therefore is a sub-hot (or whatever) tropical region, or outside of the tropical area and largely referred to as subtropical area. I believe the former.

22:05 Mar 29, 2010 

And that's why we use 'sub'; to show that it's a little less than hot.

22:03 Mar 29, 2010 

I think the point of using 'warm' in reference to a tropical climate is to distinguish it from a 'hot tropical climate' (not from 'cold'). 'Warm' is certainly used a lot to characterize a tropical climiate - over a million hits.

21:59 Mar 29, 2010 

Upon research I felt perfectly comfortable with 'sub-arid', 'sub-humid', etc... so why do we feel so sub-comfortable with sub-hot? I instantly mentally refused it and then suddenly thought 'why not', it's valid.

21:56 Mar 29, 2010 

It's a little bit less than hot, as we've managed to establish. If it's not 'sub' or even 'semi' then what else can it be? Certainly not 'warm'. I live in a tropical climate and there's certainly no need to establish it as being 'warm' rather 'cold' :)

20:55 Mar 29, 2010 

I just don't think sub-hot or even semi-hot sound very climatic/geographical

18:44 Mar 29, 2010 

I think it means that it's in a tropical area but in a 'semi-hot' environment, i.e. not as hot as in some truly hot tropical areas.

It's possible that it refers to being outside of the standard tropical area, in a 'subtropical' environment, but then there would have been no need for the use of 'sub-quente' in the original phrase, so it doesn't really make sense.

Maybe you could stick with 'semi-hot tropical' - temperatures ranging from about 19 to 36°, i.e. not really HOT. I think that's what it means.

Similar to, for example, semi-arid (dry) or semi-humid - which I've also seen written as 'sub', which appears valid.

Cheers.

18:30 Mar 29, 2010 

Nope, that's all there was!!

18:19 Mar 29, 2010 

anything after the term - like úmido or something?