Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Deutsch term or phrase:
Begriff vs. Konzept
Englisch translation:
perception and concept
Added to glossary by
Katja Rameil
Oct 24, 2013 07:56
10 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Deutsch term
Begriff vs. Konzept
Deutsch > Englisch
Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften
Wissenschaft (allgemein)
Archäologie
I have translated them both as concept or conception in a scientific article on architecture in the 1st century BC. The author got back to me, asking to differentiate between them. I'm a bit lost now, can a native speaker help out? I feel that the English doesn't make that clear difference, but that's just my non-native feeling.
Some text examples:
Die Sozialwissenschaften unterscheiden zwischen einem absoluten sowie einem relationalen *Raumbegriff*.
Die gegenwärtigen sozialwissenschaftlichen Theorien favorisieren eher das relationale *Raumkonzept*.
*Konzeptualisierung* des Raumes [resulting in a "Konzept"]
Im Folgenden unterscheide ich drei *Raumkonzepte*: [followed by three terms with definitions]
[...] greife ich auf Simmels *Begriff* der Raumqualitäten zurück.
Drei von Simmels insgesamt fünf *Qualitätsbegriffen* [...]
Simmels *Konzept* hat den Vorteil, dass es abstrakt genug ist, [...]
The native speaker I work with suggested "concept" for all of them. Is there a way though to differentiate in a way the German author does?
Thank you for your help.
Some text examples:
Die Sozialwissenschaften unterscheiden zwischen einem absoluten sowie einem relationalen *Raumbegriff*.
Die gegenwärtigen sozialwissenschaftlichen Theorien favorisieren eher das relationale *Raumkonzept*.
*Konzeptualisierung* des Raumes [resulting in a "Konzept"]
Im Folgenden unterscheide ich drei *Raumkonzepte*: [followed by three terms with definitions]
[...] greife ich auf Simmels *Begriff* der Raumqualitäten zurück.
Drei von Simmels insgesamt fünf *Qualitätsbegriffen* [...]
Simmels *Konzept* hat den Vorteil, dass es abstrakt genug ist, [...]
The native speaker I work with suggested "concept" for all of them. Is there a way though to differentiate in a way the German author does?
Thank you for your help.
Proposed translations
(Englisch)
| 3 +4 | perception and concept |
Ramey Rieger (X)
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| 4 | notion |
Ralf A. Schumacher
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| 3 | notion vs concept |
Michael Martin, MA
|
Proposed translations
+4
33 Min.
Selected
perception and concept
perception - recognition of qualities/ acuity
concept - draft/abstract, a thing conceived
concept - draft/abstract, a thing conceived
Reference:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=perception&searchmode=nonehttp://
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=concept&searchmode=none
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
palilula (X)
: By the way, with a freelance experience of more than 25 years, I think we can always find the right word ourselves. I avoid asking questions; there is so much information available, just take your time to search.
1 Min.
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Thanks Palilula, splitting hairs successfully are we?// For the greater part, yes, I agree. but I have had some brilliant kudoz assistance with idiomatic, literary terms. I wouldn't want to miss it.
|
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| agree |
Heather McCrae
: sounds good to me
4 Min.
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Hi Heather, glad you're buying and a hallelujah for online dicts.
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| agree |
Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
3 Stunden
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Thanks Harald! Is your garden ready for the winter? Don't know if we're going to have one, actually by the looks of it!
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| agree |
Eleanore Strauss
: agree in this context, but a Begriff is very often a term...even in a broader conceptual sense...if that makes any sense!
15 Stunden
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Sense make everything, how depending read you! Thanks ElliCom!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you for your thoughts and help."
25 Min.
Ralf A. Schumacher
Japan
Japan
Native in Deutsch
&
Englisch
Japan
Your F1 key to technical communication.
Native in: Englisch (Variant: US) 
, Deutsch (Variant: Germany)
Works in: Japanisch > Deutsch, Englisch > Deutsch, Deutsch > Englisch, and 3 more.
notion
I'd say that notion is the closest equivalent synonym of concept in the given context, although you might as well try to convince your client once more that Begriff is a Germanization (or v.v.?!?) of Latin concept, rooting in con- (zusammen-, herbei-, be-) and capere (fangen, greifen), and stick to your original version. B)
Example sentence:
notion of space
Reference:
3 Stunden
Michael Martin, MA
Vereinigte Staaten
Vereinigte Staaten
Native in Deutsch
&
Englisch
Vereinigte Staaten
Creativity wins in the long run
Native in: Deutsch (Variant: Germany) , Englisch (Variant: US)
Works in: Deutsch > Englisch
Related KudoZ points
:
28
notion vs concept
"In the social sciences, distinctions between absolute and relational notions of space can be found. "
Especially with social sciences terminolgy, it's insufficient to rely on dictionaries alone even if they occasionally turn out to be correct (as in Begriff = notion). It's usually safer to look for the right terminology within the respective disciplines. That said, there are still more options available here. Even though I would consider the above favorites for this particular juxtaposition there's no reason not to deviate from them for variety's sake as long as common sense is applied.
See examples below:
"For him, notions of time and space are related to contrasting
methods of understanding social systems." http://knowledgepublic.pbworks.com/f/MasseySpace.pdf
"This shift in perspective is referred to as the topological turn. The space concept directs attention to organisational forms of juxtaposition." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_space
Especially with social sciences terminolgy, it's insufficient to rely on dictionaries alone even if they occasionally turn out to be correct (as in Begriff = notion). It's usually safer to look for the right terminology within the respective disciplines. That said, there are still more options available here. Even though I would consider the above favorites for this particular juxtaposition there's no reason not to deviate from them for variety's sake as long as common sense is applied.
See examples below:
"For him, notions of time and space are related to contrasting
methods of understanding social systems." http://knowledgepublic.pbworks.com/f/MasseySpace.pdf
"This shift in perspective is referred to as the topological turn. The space concept directs attention to organisational forms of juxtaposition." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_space
Discussion
relational space perception - how I perceive the space and its relationship to its environment, the qualities it has and its effect on my person
I agree that perception (often) leads to concept. I also agree that the two are quite different in how they define space, an object or a person. Subjective/objective respectively. Definition is good, it comes closer to the linguistic view of 'term' and 'concept', which would be the literal translation of the two.
not really easy to differentiate in this case. perhaps even "definition" as in the case of the definition of spatial qualities?
hope that helps