How would you translate this into English?
September 14, 2011 10:17 AM Subscribe
How would you translate this into English? Il n'est voisin qui ne voisine. I know it's a French idiom, but what does it mean?
you're not a real neighbour unless you act like it/get along with people?
posted by runincircles at 10:21 AM on September 14, 2011
posted by runincircles at 10:21 AM on September 14, 2011
"It is not neighborly not to visit one's neighbors."
Or, "If you don't visit your neighbors, you are not a neighbor."
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 10:25 AM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Or, "If you don't visit your neighbors, you are not a neighbor."
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 10:25 AM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I think it's helpful (if I recall) to think about it as the noun/verb thing - like, one is not a neighbor if one doesn't [do] neighbor[ly things].
posted by Pax at 10:32 AM on September 14, 2011
posted by Pax at 10:32 AM on September 14, 2011
It means that being a true neighbor requires more than physical proximity.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:38 AM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:38 AM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
A!=B if A!=B
posted by blue_beetle at 11:02 AM on September 14, 2011
posted by blue_beetle at 11:02 AM on September 14, 2011
An English translation that gets closer to the French grammatical construction would be "There is no such thing as a neighbor who does not behave neighborly." Less convoluted and truer to English form would be "All true neighbors behave neighborly". Meaning, of course, that those that don't, aren't neighbors.
(Part of what I'm trying to put across is that "Il n'est X que/qui" is not equivalent to "Il n'est pas X que/qui", by the way. That would be another discussion, though.)
posted by fraula at 12:52 PM on September 14, 2011
(Part of what I'm trying to put across is that "Il n'est X que/qui" is not equivalent to "Il n'est pas X que/qui", by the way. That would be another discussion, though.)
posted by fraula at 12:52 PM on September 14, 2011
Best answer: From this dictionary entry from 1811, it means that a good neighbour is one who sees (visits often) his/her neighbours. It's a very, very old-fashioned idiom, btw, I don't think I've ever heard it (and this AskMe is now the 2nd answer on Google...).
posted by elgilito at 1:19 AM on September 15, 2011
posted by elgilito at 1:19 AM on September 15, 2011
Yes, very old: Here's an example from 1595.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:07 AM on September 15, 2011
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:07 AM on September 15, 2011
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posted by oinopaponton at 10:21 AM on September 14, 2011