Dream

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Maximillian
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Dream

Post by Maximillian »

This translation thread gave me something to wonder about. In many European languages there is no lexical distinction between two meanings of the word "dream" (traum, sueño, rêve etc.). This difference, however, is obvious in Russian, here we have the word сон which means "a dream one sees while asleep", and мечта - "daydream, reverie". What languages you know that make such distinction, and what doesn't? I'm especially interested in non-Romance and non-Germanic branches. What about your conlangs?

And a question to native anglophones: What does the word "dream" mean to you, some combination of two meanings or both meanings separately?
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Etherman
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Re: Dream

Post by Etherman »

Maximillian wrote: And a question to native anglophones: What does the word "dream" mean to you, some combination of two meanings or both meanings separately?
I generally don't use the word dream to refer to a daydream. Oddly I do use the verb dream to refer to daydreaming. As a noun it can either refer to the dream that you have while asleep, but can also refer to a long term and important goal in life, especially one that seems unattainable.
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MrKrov
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Re: Dream

Post by MrKrov »

This looks like it would have been better put under Translations.
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LetoAtreides
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Re: Dream

Post by LetoAtreides »

In Polish there is sen meaning 'dream' and marzenie 'daydream'.
clockworkbanana
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Re: Dream

Post by clockworkbanana »

Oddly, I have two things dream could mean, but daydream would be separate though related to both. Dream 1 would be the kind when you are asleep. "I dreamed I was a flying pineapple last night." Dream 2 would be something you want to do or accomplish, but are unlikely to do in the near future. "It is my dream to live in Japan (but don't have money to get there)." Daydream would be an act of thinking about what it would be like if something were true, or if you had achieved your goal, with verb forms daydream or having a daydream. "Do you ever daydream odd things, like what your life would be like if you were born a muskrat?" "I was just having a daydream about living in my conworld."
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Thakowsaizmu
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Re: Dream

Post by Thakowsaizmu »

I, personally, wouldn't use dream when refering to daydreaming. I honestly don't know many that do. I have always used dream to refer to something that happens during sleep. Though some people go on to use the word, as was pointed out by clockworkbanana, to express desires, I don't really. To me it has always been something that happens during sleep.
teh_Foxx0rz
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Re: Dream

Post by teh_Foxx0rz »

clockworkbanana wrote:Dream 1 would be the kind when you are asleep. "I dreamed I was a flying pineapple last night." Dream 2 would be something you want to do or accomplish, but are unlikely to do in the near future. "It is my dream to live in Japan (but don't have money to get there)."
Japanese (as it happens...) also lacks this distinction, I hear. So it's not just a European phenomenon.
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Czwartek
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Re: Dream

Post by Czwartek »

I pretty much agree with clockworkbanana. Dream can have three definitions, including daydream, although I wouldn't call a daydream a mere 'dream', since 'dream' implies sleep.

One more question I'd like to raise is about the distinction between dream (vision in one's sleep) and sleep. As LetoAtreides said, Polish has sen for dream and marzenie for daydream, which also carries the 'long-term goal/desire' definition of dream. Sen, however, also means sleep (as a noun, not a verb). And interestingly, Finnish is similar in that uni means both the sleep and dream (vision in one's sleep), and unelma means dream as in 'long-term goal/desire'.
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Re: Dream

Post by Yiuel »

teh_Foxx0rz wrote:
clockworkbanana wrote:Dream 1 would be the kind when you are asleep. "I dreamed I was a flying pineapple last night." Dream 2 would be something you want to do or accomplish, but are unlikely to do in the near future. "It is my dream to live in Japan (but don't have money to get there)."
Japanese (as it happens...) also lacks this distinction, I hear. So it's not just a European phenomenon.
I confirm.
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