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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

ein starker Neurotiker

English translation:

a severely neurotic (child)

Added to glossary by Yvonne Becker
Feb 5, 2007 21:43
17 yrs ago
German term

ein starker Neurotiker

German to English Medical Psychology
I've only found "neurotic" as an adjectiv and I don't know which would be the best way to translate "starker" in this context.

In a letter of Sigmund Freud speaking about his grandson to his son-in-law

"...Wir wissen, dass der Junge ein schwerer Bissen ist und dass man von Bertha nicht verlangen kann, mit ihm fertig zu werden. Aber noch mehr, den Hauptgrund für unser vorgehen haben wir Dir bisher nicht eingestanden. Ernstl ist nämlich ein **starker Neurotiker mit deutlichen symptomen u darum so schwer zu behandeln. Das steigert natürlich nicht seinen Wert oder seine Aussichten für die Zukunft."

"he is very neurotic"? I don't know if this would be the best technical way to say it. The translation is for a psychiatrist.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +7 a severely neurotic child
4 +1 a genuine / real neurotic
5 a severe neurotic - or Mr. Swift's suggestion
3 +1 a person with severe neurotic symptoms
4 -1 a heavy neurotic
3 profoundly neurotic
3 a chronic neurotic

Discussion

Yvonne Becker (asker) Feb 6, 2007:
Yes, Francis. However, I would still like to deliver him the best translation possible. In this specific case, as the author on the book on Ernst Freud is a psychiatrist himself, I would like to make sure that the technical terms are correct.
Francis Lee (X) Feb 6, 2007:
I seem to remember that you're translating these letters for a non-German-speaker who's writing a book about Freud: so the translations are "only" for information purposes, right? (i.e. not for publication)

Proposed translations

+7
2 mins
Selected

a severely neurotic child

http://www.pep-web.org/document.php?id=apa.035.0189a

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Note added at 7 mins (2007-02-05 21:50:54 GMT)
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http://tinyurl.com/ys873y

Beware of large clumsy neurotics. Fake neurotics are probably OK.
Peer comment(s):
agree Bernhard Sulzer : works well, IMO, as an explanation for a psychiatrist
22 mins
Thanks, Bernhard. Especially for your multiple variations on this basic approach ;-)
neutral Gert Sass (M.A.) : I don't see any necessity for the "child" component here./I just saw what you "suspect" - ever laid hand on a subject-related book? Quite obviously not./Your veeeary superficial reasoning has resulted in one of the most ridiculous Gloss entries. Congrats!
48 mins
I am surprised that anyone would cling so obstinately to the phrase 'a heavy neurotic' in the face of such adamant assurances from native speakers that it sounded absurd. // English language, heavy language.
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : just omit child: he is severely neurotic
1 hr
Yes, although lay use is comfortable with the term as a noun, I suspect the professionals prefer to use it adjectivally.
agree Beate Petersen
10 hrs
agree Karin Maack
12 hrs
agree Francis Lee (X) : But His Sagaciousness the Lord Sass does have a point about your evident illteracy, Andrew.
14 hrs
True. If you spend all day translating other people’s stuff, the last thing you want to do in the evenings is read books. AJ Swift (B.A.)
agree MMUlr : and with Ingeborg's suggestion
15 hrs
agree writeaway : ;-)
19 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks a lot!"
+1
3 mins

a genuine / real neurotic

my tip

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2007-02-05 21:48:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Tony Hancock was a genuine neurotic, and his mental problems gave an uncomfortably ironic edge to this material when he performed it. ...
www.imdb.com/title/tt0115311/ - 46k - Im Cache - Ähnliche Seiten


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2007-02-05 21:49:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Many "criminals" would be classi- fied by psychoanalysis as neurotic personalities, the real neurotic express- ing by symptoms (autoplastically) what the ...
links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9602(193109)37%3A2%3C331%3ATCTJAT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I - Ähnliche Seiten
[ Weitere Ergebnisse von links.jstor.org ]
Peer comment(s):
agree Karin Maack
12 hrs
thanks karin
Something went wrong...
-1
2 mins

a heavy neurotic

neurotic is also used as a noun (like "lunatic")

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2007-02-05 21:52:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Neurotiker m a. fig. neurotic; fig. er ist ein Neurotiker he's neurotic

neu'rot·ic [-'] I. adj. (regelmäßige Adverbbildung neurotically) 1. neu'rotisch;
2. Nerven...(-mittel, -leiden etc.);
II. s.
3. Neu'rotiker(in);
4. Nervenmittel n

© 2001 Langenscheidt KG, Berlin und München; Internet-Wortschatz: © 2001 Langenscheidt KG, Berlin und München und sueddeutsche.de GmbH, München
Peer comment(s):
disagree Francis Lee (X) : This would be understood as an overweight person ... CL4????/ Please reinsert your comments re. a) me being an "alien to the subject" because I corrected your English (and there's a lot of room there, believe me) and b) "heavy criminal offender" :-P
14 hrs
Aha. Leaving aside the perhaps too subtle difference between heavy- and overweight, a heavy drinker, smoker, substance abuser, etc. = an overweight person? Please confirm./I realize you did not confirm. Uncertain?
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

a severe neurotic - or Mr. Swift's suggestion

"Our world is, so to speak, dissociated like a neurotic" (Jung, 1964:85).

Woody Allen's film "The original neurotic" ;-)
Peer comment(s):
neutral Gert Sass (M.A.) : While agreeing with "severe neurotic" as a mere variation on the theme, there is no such WA film unless you are referring to "Annie Hall" ("Der Stadtneurotiker"), and you would not seriously suggest WA as a quotable reference here, would you?
7 hrs
You are quite right Gert. It is a book ABOUT WA or so I believe. There's a winking smiley at the end ;-) and the Jung quote was my actual reference. Where did you get heavy from?
Something went wrong...
12 hrs

profoundly neurotic

another common option
Something went wrong...
13 hrs

a chronic neurotic

or .. is chronically neurotic
Something went wrong...
+1
12 hrs

a person with severe neurotic symptoms

tried again

http://www.kashmir-information.com/Miscellaneous/GKMuju1.htm...
severe neurotic symptoms

a severely neurotic person


or:

a/the seriously/severely neurotic type

or - a personality with severely neurotic symptoms

http://www.social-psychology.de/do/PT_rank.pdf
neurotic type
http://www.uscourts.gov/fedprob/June_2004/anxiety.html
neurotic personality type
http://home.arcor.de/ingothemuso/qmusic/culttrauma.mht
severely neurotic symptoms

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 hrs (2007-02-06 17:26:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

additional information, including from my first posting, now hidden:



suggestion for the context here:

..has a severe neurotic disorder with (clearly) noticeable symptoms...

http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/7/4/243
neurotic disorders, more severe personality disorders



or:

a/the seriously/severely neurotic type

or - a personality with severely neurotic symptoms

http://www.social-psychology.de/do/PT_rank.pdf
neurotic type


in the sense of offender type, not for this context
http://www.uscourts.gov/fedprob/June_2004/anxiety.html
neurotic personality type
As noted in more detailed descriptions of the offender personality typologies (e.g., see Warren, 1971, Van Voorhis, 1994; Van Voorhis & Sperber, 1999), the neurotic personality type is one of four offender personality types common to the various personality classification systems (Megargee & Bohn, 1979; Quay, 1983; Jesness, 1988, 1996; Warren, 1983). The most common types and their descriptions are as follows:


http://home.arcor.de/ingothemuso/qmusic/culttrauma.mht
severely neurotic symptoms


Peer comment(s):
agree Francis Lee (X) : Well, at least you get an A for effort, Bernhard ;-)
2 hrs
I appreciate it, Francis. I meant to hide my first answer, so I did.
Something went wrong...
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