Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
entailles à enfourchement sur champs
English translation:
notched joints / dovetailed joints
Added to glossary by
B D Finch
Dec 5, 2018 04:10
5 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
Australia
entailles à enfourchement sur champs
French to English
Tech/Engineering
Construction / Civil Engineering
I'm translating some 1950s French architectural correspondence relating to prefabricated wooden houses and the specifications are rather technical, so I'd really appreciate some guidance!
This sentence is about the external walls: "Ces madriers superposés sont assemblés à leurs extrémités par des entailles à enfourchement sur champs et des entailles à chartrains sur plat."
Does anyone know the English term for "entailles à enfourchement sur champs"?
Any advice much appreciated.
This sentence is about the external walls: "Ces madriers superposés sont assemblés à leurs extrémités par des entailles à enfourchement sur champs et des entailles à chartrains sur plat."
Does anyone know the English term for "entailles à enfourchement sur champs"?
Any advice much appreciated.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | dovetailed joints |
B D Finch
|
| 1 | tongue and groove (on edge) |
Maurice Thibaux
|
Change log
Dec 15, 2018 11:11: B D Finch Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
1 day 13 hrs
Selected
dovetailed joints
I now think that it's wrong to ignore "sont assemblés à leurs extrémités par des entailles à enfourchement sur champ" this must mean the ends of the planks and so they are dovetailed. See an example of this for a timber wall here:
http://www.thelogconnection.com/log_notch_tail.html
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Note added at 1 day 13 hrs (2018-12-06 17:39:02 GMT)
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Also, tongue and groove is usually "rainure et languette" in French.
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Note added at 2 days 5 hrs (2018-12-07 09:54:02 GMT)
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@Asker
That's a good point and, as dovetailed joints are a particular type of notched joint, it might be safer to call them notched joints. If you had any pictures, that would clear it up. Dovetailing does make the joints stronger for components that aren't principally working in tension.
http://www.thelogconnection.com/log_notch_tail.html
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Note added at 1 day 13 hrs (2018-12-06 17:39:02 GMT)
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Also, tongue and groove is usually "rainure et languette" in French.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 5 hrs (2018-12-07 09:54:02 GMT)
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@Asker
That's a good point and, as dovetailed joints are a particular type of notched joint, it might be safer to call them notched joints. If you had any pictures, that would clear it up. Dovetailing does make the joints stronger for components that aren't principally working in tension.
Note from asker:
| That is a really helpful link! Actually, the wooden houses in question are Scandinavian chalets. I think you are right about the references being to the ends of the logs and not the edges -- but how do you know the phrase refers to dovetailing rather than either of the other two styles illustrated? Just very curious. |
| Sorry, I was just referring to the logs in your picture. I have translated "madriers" as "planks", and alas, there are no pictures. So maybe "notched joints" is the safest option. Thank you. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "All the contributions were most helpful but in the end I went with "notched joints". Many thanks and happy festive season!"
5 hrs
Maurice Thibaux
Native in French
Long experience in IT & electomechanics
Native in: French (Variant: Standard-France) 
Works in: English to French, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
20
tongue and groove (on edge)
This seems to be the most common method, as used in flooring. It is confusing because it says "à leurs extrémités" (ends?.. not edge?). But I am guessing it means that the entailles are grooves not halving or half-lapped. Enfourchement is usually (forked or slot) mortice and tenon, but that's for the "end" of boards (not the edge, which is the smaller lengthwise face). Tongue and groove means the tongue is inserted in the groove (enfourchement).
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Note added at 5 hrs (2018-12-05 10:06:07 GMT)
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It would be clearer with a picture.
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Note added at 5 hrs (2018-12-05 10:06:07 GMT)
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It would be clearer with a picture.
Discussion