Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

attente

English translation:

temporary shelter/accommodation

Added to glossary by Jennifer Levey
Apr 23, 2015 21:39
9 yrs ago
4 viewers *
French term

Attente

French to English Other Construction / Civil Engineering Type of Structure
This word occurs in two separate depositions written by hand by two different residents of Brazzaville, Congo:

"Nous sommes reparties là où notre maison a été détruite et nous avions construit les attentes pour ne pas dormir dehors."
-and-
"Nous avons vécu dans les attentes pendant beaucoup de temps."

When I first read it, I assumed it was a spelling mistake for "tentes," i.e. they build and lived in tents at the site of their destroyed homes, but then it occurred in the second deposition and I figured it wasn't a coincidence. I have searched several online dictionaries for African French (http://www.bantu-languages.com/fr/lex.html; http://www.unice.fr/bcl/ofcaf/16/A.htm; http://www.bibliotheque.auf.org/doc_num.php?explnum_id=494) without success. Does anyone with experience living in Central Africa know what this is referring to?
Change log

Apr 24, 2015 23:02: Jennifer Levey Created KOG entry

Discussion

Ben Karl (asker) Apr 23, 2015:
@David, re: Phil's response Do you know whether "attente" can refer to a type of lodging/shelter in this context? I have been unable to far to find such an example online. Any examples you may have found would be greatly appreciated.

Proposed translations

+6
2 hrs
Selected

temporary accommodation

temporary/emergency accommodation/living space

'attente' as in 'a place to eat and sleep while we're 'waiting' for life to get back to normal'.

The ST suggests that their homes were destroyed, and they were living in 'temporary accommodation', probably 'thrown together' with whatever materials were to hand, and probably alongside the ruins (i.e. on their own land), pending reconstruction of the destroyed building.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2015-04-23 23:52:06 GMT)
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Also 'temporary shelter' (amongst other options) widely used in the context of emergency aid.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2015-04-23 23:55:08 GMT)
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abris d'attente - Traduction anglaise – Linguee
www.linguee.fr/francais-anglais/traduction/abris d'att...
De très nombreux exemples de phrases traduites contenant "abris d'attente" ... in such shelters and up to 15,000 families were in need of emergency shelter ...
Peer comment(s):

agree David Hollywood : better
17 mins
Thanks, David.
agree Tony M
5 hrs
agree Ghyslaine LE NAGARD
7 hrs
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne : Yes for "abri d'attente", although Linguee is not a reference source, just a forum, it is often helpful. Further searches of "abri d'attente" confirm this suggestion. "Temporary shelter" is best as "accommodation" suggests solid construction.
7 hrs
agree Jean-Claude Gouin
11 hrs
agree Frank Foley : Yep, Collins e.g. has "solution d'attente" - "temporary solution"
13 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks! "
+1
6 mins

necessary lodgings

maybe

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Note added at 8 mins (2015-04-23 21:47:51 GMT)
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or<: what we need

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Note added at 8 mins (2015-04-23 21:48:29 GMT)
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depends on how you want to put it
Peer comment(s):

agree Chakib Roula : More simply "lodgings"
0 min
ok Chakib
neutral philgoddard : This looks like a guess unless you give references.
16 mins
do you not think "lodgings" would work here Phil?
Something went wrong...
18 hrs

makeshift dwelling

As in : Rukia Nur feeds her child outside her makeshift dwelling after fleeing famine in the Marka Lower .

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Note added at 18 heures (2015-04-24 16:03:22 GMT)
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and;
http://www.yourdictionary.com/hut
... or temporary shelter. (noun) An example of a hut is an open home made from local grasses. ... ... A crude or ***makeshift dwelling*** or shelter; a shack. A temporary ...
Something went wrong...
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