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My native language is German. We only have the word Motor. Thought engine is just the 1:1 translation of it, but apparently not.

by panzi 2y ago

ajuc 2y ago
Same in Polish. "Silnik" is both motor and engine. You add second word to specify the kind (electric, combustion, stirling, steam, ...).
- yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
  I think silnik translates most directly to powerplant in English, given that the root word is siła.
  - amszmidt 2y ago
    Power plant would be elektrownia. The suffix -nik is a common one that one can append to almost any noun to indicate that something or someone doing something, e.g. robot, robotnik (worker). So silnik translates to motor/engine, not powerplant.
    - yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
      In English, you can use the word powerplant in a more abstract sense, e.g., to refer to the engine or motor of a car. It doesn’t only specifically mean the large industrial building which generates electricity, as I believe elektrownia does. I think your note about the -nik suffix is congruent with my point. A silnik is a thing that is doing/making siła. To clarify, I’m perfectly aware that if I tell someone in Poland that I have a problem with my silnik, I’m referring to the engine in my vehicle. But in this discussion here, I’m talking about the most direct translation.
      - amszmidt 2y ago
        As someone fluent in both English and Polish (being my native language), I cannot see how silnik and a fixed place where power is generated, specifically connected to a network where that power is put out (i.e. powerplant) have anything in common. The only direct translation of the word is really just engine/motor, one can often use the word motor to mean silnik as well.
        yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
        English is my native language, and I'm confident that powerplant can indeed be used in the more abstract sense as I wrote in my previous comment. This can be evidenced[0], for example, in motorsport journalism. > For more than a quarter of a century, Cosworth’s DFV (and it’s variants) was the off-the-peg powerplant of choice for independent F1 teams Or of course, in the dictionary[1]. [0]: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/the-best-engine-partnerships-in-f1-history.3GZEdUWfDOCMGuWcAYKMyA https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/the-best-engine-p... [1]: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20plant https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20plant
        amszmidt 2y ago
        That seems more like a typo than anything, in Formula jargon the engine is called a "power unit" not plant, not to mention that that a plant is generally a place of industry and not a object (e.g., nuclear plant ...). In either case, calling a "silnik" a "powerplant" is a very large stretch, where as a "powerunit" would be a more accurate translation since it has the same meaning as a engine/motor.
        amszmidt 2y ago
        The word “siłownia” could be directly translated to power plant though, -ownia is being a suffix for places / plants.
        yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
        > That seems more like a typo than anything I assure you it isn't. > To increase the agility, steering response, handling and starting performance of the Macan T, Porsche uses a particularly light powerplant https://media.porsche.com/mediakit/macan/en/the-new-macan/macan-t/powertrain-and-performance https://media.porsche.com/mediakit/macan/en/the-new-macan/ma... > Porsche has developed a hydrogen powerplant prototype that can be installed in luxury sports cars and perform as well as a 4.4-liter, eight-cylinder petrol engine https://www.ryzehydrogen.com/2023/03/07/5172/ https://www.ryzehydrogen.com/2023/03/07/5172/ > Of course, removing the roof completely on a car boasting such a supreme powerplant presents its own set of unique aerodynamic challenges https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/magazine/articles/the-ferrari-sp-8-one-off https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/magazine/articles/the-ferrari-... > The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance allies a hefty 671bhp powerplant to a 2,310kg body https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/mercedes-benz/glc-amg-estate-2023/glc-63-s-4m-e-performance-premium-5dr-9g-tronic/first https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/mercedes-benz/glc-amg-es...
froh 2y ago
"die Maschine ist im Eimer" is something "old" people like myself would happily say about the, well, engine of a car that broke. Maschinenschaden. broken engine. greetings from Nürnberg, Mittelfranken...
- panzi 2y ago
  Yeah, but Maschine is machine. Or at least I thought so.
  - froh 2y ago
    yup that's also tempting Dampfmaschine = steam engine which unless specified otherwise boils down to locomotive... the two languages are so similar yet different. what amazed me the most was that in English speaking countries they learn beautiful English words, famose worte of sorts.
BlindEyeHalo 2y ago
> We only have the word Motor I disagree, depending on the context you also use "Maschine" and "Triebwerk" in instances where english would use engine. For example you would not translate "jet engine" to "Düsenmotor" but instead "Düsentriebwerk" and "steam engine" is translated to "Dampfmaschine"

My native language is German. We only have the word Motor. Thought engine is just the 1:1 translation of it, but apparently not.

by panzi 2y ago

My native language is German. We only have the word Motor. Thought engine is just the 1:1 translation of it, but apparently not.

ajuc 2y ago

Same in Polish. "Silnik" is both motor and engine. You add second word to specify the kind (electric, combustion, stirling, steam, ...).

yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
I think silnik translates most directly to powerplant in English, given that the root word is siła.
- amszmidt 2y ago
  Power plant would be elektrownia. The suffix -nik is a common one that one can append to almost any noun to indicate that something or someone doing something, e.g. robot, robotnik (worker). So silnik translates to motor/engine, not powerplant.
  - yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
    In English, you can use the word powerplant in a more abstract sense, e.g., to refer to the engine or motor of a car. It doesn’t only specifically mean the large industrial building which generates electricity, as I believe elektrownia does. I think your note about the -nik suffix is congruent with my point. A silnik is a thing that is doing/making siła. To clarify, I’m perfectly aware that if I tell someone in Poland that I have a problem with my silnik, I’m referring to the engine in my vehicle. But in this discussion here, I’m talking about the most direct translation.
    - amszmidt 2y ago
      As someone fluent in both English and Polish (being my native language), I cannot see how silnik and a fixed place where power is generated, specifically connected to a network where that power is put out (i.e. powerplant) have anything in common. The only direct translation of the word is really just engine/motor, one can often use the word motor to mean silnik as well.
      - yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
        English is my native language, and I'm confident that powerplant can indeed be used in the more abstract sense as I wrote in my previous comment. This can be evidenced[0], for example, in motorsport journalism. > For more than a quarter of a century, Cosworth’s DFV (and it’s variants) was the off-the-peg powerplant of choice for independent F1 teams Or of course, in the dictionary[1]. [0]: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/the-best-engine-partnerships-in-f1-history.3GZEdUWfDOCMGuWcAYKMyA https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/the-best-engine-p... [1]: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20plant https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20plant
        amszmidt 2y ago
        That seems more like a typo than anything, in Formula jargon the engine is called a "power unit" not plant, not to mention that that a plant is generally a place of industry and not a object (e.g., nuclear plant ...). In either case, calling a "silnik" a "powerplant" is a very large stretch, where as a "powerunit" would be a more accurate translation since it has the same meaning as a engine/motor.
        amszmidt 2y ago
        The word “siłownia” could be directly translated to power plant though, -ownia is being a suffix for places / plants.
        yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
        > That seems more like a typo than anything I assure you it isn't. > To increase the agility, steering response, handling and starting performance of the Macan T, Porsche uses a particularly light powerplant https://media.porsche.com/mediakit/macan/en/the-new-macan/macan-t/powertrain-and-performance https://media.porsche.com/mediakit/macan/en/the-new-macan/ma... > Porsche has developed a hydrogen powerplant prototype that can be installed in luxury sports cars and perform as well as a 4.4-liter, eight-cylinder petrol engine https://www.ryzehydrogen.com/2023/03/07/5172/ https://www.ryzehydrogen.com/2023/03/07/5172/ > Of course, removing the roof completely on a car boasting such a supreme powerplant presents its own set of unique aerodynamic challenges https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/magazine/articles/the-ferrari-sp-8-one-off https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/magazine/articles/the-ferrari-... > The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance allies a hefty 671bhp powerplant to a 2,310kg body https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/mercedes-benz/glc-amg-estate-2023/glc-63-s-4m-e-performance-premium-5dr-9g-tronic/first https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/mercedes-benz/glc-amg-es...

froh 2y ago

"die Maschine ist im Eimer" is something "old" people like myself would happily say about the, well, engine of a car that broke. Maschinenschaden. broken engine. greetings from Nürnberg, Mittelfranken...

panzi 2y ago
Yeah, but Maschine is machine. Or at least I thought so.
- froh 2y ago
  yup that's also tempting Dampfmaschine = steam engine which unless specified otherwise boils down to locomotive... the two languages are so similar yet different. what amazed me the most was that in English speaking countries they learn beautiful English words, famose worte of sorts.

BlindEyeHalo 2y ago

> We only have the word Motor I disagree, depending on the context you also use "Maschine" and "Triebwerk" in instances where english would use engine. For example you would not translate "jet engine" to "Düsenmotor" but instead "Düsentriebwerk" and "steam engine" is translated to "Dampfmaschine"