[ox-en] Re: Defintion of exchange
- From: Stefan Merten <smerten oekonux.de>
- Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 23:16:53 +0100
Hi Benja and all others tumbling between German and English ;-) !
Today B Fallenstein wrote:
Stefan Merten wrote:
What do
you mean by "exchange"?
Indeed that's the right question here.
I think "exchange" is not the ideal word, because the point here (I
think) is that one thing *is given away to get another*. In other words,
one *thing of value* is exchanged with *another thing of value*, which
we'd rather have than the first one.
Hmm...
I think "trade" would be a better
word. "Exchange" can mean "trade," but it does not in the context of a
colony of ants. (And remember that German "ich tausche X gegen Y" would
more likely be translated as "I trade X for Y" than "I exchange X with Y...")
Hmm... Indeed LEO says
to trade handeln
to trade eintauschen
Especially the "eintauschen" is indeed what you are pointing out.
However
barter der Tausch
exchange der Tausch
in trade for in Tausch gegen
in exchange for im Tausch gegen/für
So bartering is seen as "Tausch" and trade and exchange can be used in
the same meaning. Indeed in German I think we have rather similar
distinctions and similarities between "Tausch" ("exchange") and
"Handel" ("trade"). The later however, has a clear economic aspect
while the first is more in the realm of humans.
Maybe best would be to say that what's meant here is the least common
denominator of "exchange" and "trade" ;-)
Hmm... Ok, to clarify I'm talking of the exchange/trade *for*
something but I think this is already contained in the meaning of
exchange/trade.
Mit Freien Grüßen
Stefan
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