Foreign language names of Disney characters

[Bashful]

NON-ENGLISH NAMES OF DISNEY CHARACTERS

The thread about watching films in their “native tongue” and the older one about international Disney titles made me think of another interesting topic. Perhaps people could share their information on how character names have been translated into other languages.

Since I didn’t want the topic to be lost in the International DVD section I posted it here for all to read. Feel free to discuss any Disney related films (animated, live action, shorts) and their character/place names.

Some of the names below have been influenced by already existing book translations (Alice, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh) but on the other hand some have been made specifically for Disney films and comics. At least in Finland character and/or place names even in children’s books are not translated unless there are strong grounds for doing so. For example when the readers/listeners are very young, the original name is impossible to pronounce, or the name implies a meaning. Central characters are usually left untouched whereas with more marginal characters one can do almost anything. In the Finnish Harry Potter books, for example, the names of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore etc. are as in English, but character or place names that are more animated or descriptive (like Hogwarts, Snape) have been translated with similar word plays.

Of course there is a big difference between books and films. Since animated films are dubbed for child audiences the names need to be easy enough to pronounce, and it would also help if the translation was in lip sync with the original. Sometimes they manage to get the effect, sometimes they don’t.

There are several different approaches to translating names in Disney films. Here are the ones that I’ve found so far:

1. no translation at all, perhaps some adjustment in typing (Frollo = Frollo)

2. literal translation (Sleepy = Unelias ‘sleepy’)

3. similar sounding name in the target language (Meeko = Miiko, pronounced exactly alike)

4. similar meaning (Happy = Lystikäs ‘funny’)

5. completely fabricated name (Mike Wazowski = Masi Pallopää 'ballhead')




Here are some (hopefully interesting) examples from the Finnish language versions of Disney films:
(original name = Finnish name ‘its meaning in English’)

Christopher Robin (from Winnie the Pooh) = Risto Reipas ‘Chris Brisk’ (reipas meaning brisk, energetic)

Thumper (from Bambi) = Rumpali ‘drummer’

Tinkerbell (from Peter Pan) = Helinä ‘tinkle, jingle’, also a common first name

Chip (from Beauty and the Beast) = Kippo ‘small bowl’, also sounds quite like Chip

Cogsworth (BatB) = Könni (the surname of a 19th century clock maker; a type of grandfather’s clock is actually called könninkello ‘könni’s clock’)

Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) = Ruusunen ‘diminuitive of rose’

Flounder (The Little Mermaid) = Pärsky ‘splash’

Herbie the Love Bug = Riemukupla ‘joybubble’ or ‘joybug’, the nickname of VW Beetle is Bubble in Finnish

Goofy = Hessu Hopo (Hessu is/was a commonly used nickname which also sounds like hassu , 'funny, silly'; Hopo sounds almost like hoopo ‘silly, goofy’ or hepo ‘horsie’)

And although Peanuts is far from being a Disney production, I just have to mention the following gem of a translation:

Woodstock = Kaustinen (after a Finnish folk/world music festival which takes place in a town called Kaustinen; the word ending –nen is actually very common in Finnish surnames)

[Wonderlicious]

I've got some interesting points about foreign character names/titles-

* In France, Sleeping Beauty is called La Belle au bois dormant, which translates in English as Beauty in the Sleeping Wood.

* In France, Robin Hood is called Robin de Bois, which translates as Robin of the wood

* In France, Winnie the Pooh is called Winnie l'Ourson, which translates as Winnie the Bear Cub

* In France, Goofy is called Dingo, which translates as Nutcase.

* An alternate translation of Beauty and the Beast's French title into English is Pretty and Stupid

* The Cheshire Cat in France is called Chester, which is a city in England in the county of Cheshire.

[Lumiere]

goofy in mexico is called tribilin

[Mr. 3000]

Bashful said:
"Christopher Robin (from Winnie the Pooh) = Risto Reipas ‘Chris Brisk’"

I may just be crude, but...

[Starion]

In the Dutch version of the Lion King, Zazu is spelled Zazoe.

oe represents the /U/ sound.

In Dutch, the letter "u" represents the sound uu, "ew" as in English dew, the "u" in Zazu or Dutch vroeg.

I should know since I'm studying linguistics and phonetics.

[herman_the_german]

"* In France, Sleeping Beauty is called La Belle au bois dormant, which translates in English as Beauty in the Sleeping Wood."

The original title of the story is "Sleeping Beauty Of The Forest".

Movies and comics are two different things, at least in Spanish. While the movie is probably official and the translation may require studio approval. The translation of the comic depends on the whim of the translator, and he/she may not even be aware of the name translation in the movie version.

Tribilin has been mentioned, but how about:

- Rico MacPato (Rich MacDuck) in Mexico or Tio Gilito (Lil' Uncle Gil) in Spain
- Ciro Peraloca (Cyrus Crazypear)
- Narciso Bello (Narcisus Beautiful)
- Panfilo Ganso (Panfilo Goose)
- los Jóvenes Castores (The Young Beavers)
- Donald Duck is sometimes known as the aliterative Pato Pascual, but mostly remains Donald.
- Hugo, Paco y Luis are Huewey, Dewey and Luey.
- Guess who Los Chicos Malos (The Bad Boys) are.
- Minnie for some reason becomes Mimi.
- Pinocchio (means Pine Eyes in Italian, which makes sense for a wood puppet) is translated as Pinocho in Spanish - no meaning.
- Eeyore becomes Igor.
- Piglet should be Porquete (I have a book translation) but remains Piglet.
- Tinkerbell is Campanita (Little Bell).
- Aladdin remains Aladdin when he should be Aladino, the story was already translated centuries before the Disney movie was made.



I also know Mickey is known as Topolino in Italy and Popeye is known as Espaguetti in Argentina. R2D2 somehow became Arturito in Spanish. Alvin, Simon & Theodore became Panfilo, Demetrio y Anacleto.

[Scabbie]

In the Dutch versions:

Winnie the Pooh = Winnie de Poeh (same story as Zazu - Zazoe)
Beast = Beest (Dutch translation)
Cogsworth = Pendule (other dutch word for 'clock')
Mrs. Potts = Mevr. Tuit
Chip = Barstje (translation: Crack)
Flounder = Botje
Sebastian = Sebastiaan (Dutch version of that name)
Aurora = Doornroosje (translation: Thorn Rose)
Baloo = Baloe (same story as Winnie the Pooh)
Merlin = Merlijn (so is it spelled for centuries, well, for a long time)
Pinocchio = Pinokkio (same pronunciation)
Snow White = Sneeuwwitje (So was it spelled in the fairy tale, it is a direct translation of Snow White)

Edit:
Huewey, Dewey and Luey = Kwik, Kwek en Kwak

[glenn]

Great topic!

I have some from my home country Norway:

- Goofy in norwegian is "Langbein" (long-legs, it's also the name of an insect).
- Daisy became "Dolly", probably because it's easier to say in norwegian.
- Winnie the Pooh is "Ole Brumm"
- Briar Rose is "Tornerose" (Thorne Rose)
- Somehow Ed from the Lion King became "Ted" in the norwegian version, don't know why.
- The Seven Dwarfs is all different; Doc = "Brille" (glasses), Happy = "Lystig" (merry, jolly), Bashful = "Blygen" (bashful), Sneezy = "Prosit" (like you say 'Bless You' after somebody sneezes), Sleepy = "Søvnig" (sleepy), Grumpy = "Sinnataggen" (spitfire, hothead), Dopey = "Minsten" (the smallest one).
- Huewey, Dewey and Luey are "Ole, Dole og Doffen".

[Bashful]

- Somehow Ed from the Lion King became "Ted" in the norwegian version, don't know why.
- The Seven Dwarfs is all different; Doc = "Brille" (glasses), Sneezy = "Prosit" (like you say 'Bless You' after somebody sneezes)

And for Mr. 3000, I may be missing the joke here but I meant 'brisk, energetic'. And the first name Risto is basically a shortened form of Christopher.

[DisneyGirl]

* In France, Goofy is called Dingo, which translates as Nutcase.

That's priceless. Walt should have named him Nutcase instead of Goofy, it's more fitting! lol

[Anders M Olsson]

Here are a few pages you may find interesting:

http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-10744/disney ... titles.htm
http://www.tonakaistudio.com/rangers/cdrrsweden.html
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-10744/disneya ... sweden.htm
http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-10744/disney ... fnames.htm

[herman_the_german]

* In France, Goofy is called Dingo, which translates as Nutcase.

That's priceless. Walt should have named him Nutcase instead of Goofy, it's more fitting! lol

Well, remember that originally he didn't have a name. The animators just called him The Goof, which became Goofy over time. Also remember that a dingo is a wild Australian dog.

Dingos ate my baby...

[arturo_gtz]

In México:

Mickey Mouse: some decades ago, he was called "Ratón Miguelito", he is known as "Mickey Mouse" up to date
Donald Duck: the same case, "Pato Pascual", but now is "Pato Donald"
Goofy: Tribilín... but the new home videos has the "Goofy" name in them.
Huey, Dewey and Louie: Hugo Paco y Luis
Minnie Mouse: Mimí
Big Bad Pete: Pedro el malo (Pete the Bad Guy)
Scrooge Mc Duck: Rico Mac Pato (Rich Mc Duck)
Winnie the Pooh: Winnie Pooh
Rabbit: Conejo
Pigglet: Puerquito (little Pig)
Eeyore: Igor

Some non-Disney characters:

Bugs Bunny: Some decades ago, he was known as "El conejo de la suerte" (the lucky rabbit)
Daffy Duck: Pato Lucas
Foghorn Leghorn: Gallo Claudio
Elmer Fudd: Elmer Gruñon (Grumpy Elmer)
Tweety: Piolín
Sylvester: Silvestre
Speedy Gonzales: Speedy González ... Gonzales is a typo, the right way to write this name is "González"
Homer Simpson: Homero Simpson.
Chief Wiggum: Jefe Gorgory
Fred Flintstone: Pedro Picapiedra
Barney Rubble: Pablo Mármol
Wilma Filntstone: Vilma "Traca" de Picapiedra
Betty Rubble: Betty Mármol
Speed Racer: Meteoro
Chi chi (from DBZ): Milk (here in México, Chichi is a rude way to call the woman breasts, that's why the name was changed)

[deathie mouse]

This language stuff is fun and all the variations and the associations with sounds and roots and everything. The more languages you know the more fun it is.

I think in Spain Donald's nephews are called Jorgito Juanito and Jaimito (or Luisito? can't remember really) that would be Georgie, Johnny and Jamie? (or Louie) and I thought Mickey Mouse was el ratón Miguelín. Scrooge Mac Duck's full name is Gil Mac Pato. Cinderella is called La Cenicienta. (The one who is (or looks) like ash? I guess it may mean the one who is in charge of cleaning and is covered in ash so she is almost invisible ). On the Saludos Amigos Spanish soundtrack they call Goofy Bucéfalo which i don't know what on earth it means. A variation of Buffalo? I think one word for head is encéfalo, so head like a buffalo? In any case it sounds funny-ish like Goofy Snow White is Blanca Nieves which makes snow plural as in White Snows (Blanca is a common name and Nieves is a common surname)

Pinocho in Spanish - no meaning.

Well pino means pine and the ocho part is a variation of how occio would sound in Spanish. Eye in spanish is ojo and in ancient times j was x (as in Mexico and Texas) and in Galicia things with j's are written and pronounced with their x which sounds kinda different than the english x (Same as in Portuguese the j's are pronounced as x's) so mmm... ojo -> oxo ? So Pinocho sounds almost the same as Pinoxo would. (eye in Portuguese is olho). Also the verb "To make" (hacer) when used as "Made of pine (wood)" would be "Hecho of pino" so add a few drinks and you have Pinocho instead of Pinohecho Also, ocho means eight and an eight looks like two eyes (So that might be why eight is ocho. ojo/occio/oxo/olho spanish-italian-galician-portuguese-latin derived roots of the number 8? See how this smiley is written - > ) Languages are very organic and maleable What i find funny (well to my ears) is how they pronounce some unstranslated names like Spiderman. As in Speederman

by the way I think Pedro Picapiedra translates to Peter Stonecutter, and Pablo Marmol to Paul Marble

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deathie mouse. more than you wanna know