German is “Bärtierchen”. Which is a cute version of bear animal.
Comment on SPOOPY TARDIGRADE
MacStache@programming.dev 1 month ago
Fun fact, those are called “karhukainen” in Finnish. A direct (but loose) translation would be “bearly”, “bearlike” or something else bear related.
Ziglin@lemmy.world 1 month ago
MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 1 month ago
Very loose. The finnish equivalent for those words would be “karhumainen”. I’m not sure there is a single-word translation for the “-kainen” suffix.
It doesn’t really work the same way “-mainen” does, it’s similar, but results in a word that has a more definite meaning.
“Lapsimainen” would mean childlike or childish, while “lapsukainen” only ever refers to an actual child (or if used to describe an adult, would be like calling them a “literal child” in a belittling way).
MacStache@programming.dev 1 month ago
The Finnish suffix “-kainen” is used to create nouns that refer to things or beings associated with a particular quality or characteristic. Even though we don’t necessarily mentally associate it with a similar meaning as “-mainen”, it still is. Hence the translation of “bearlike” is close enough.
MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 1 month ago
Close enough, but not closest. I would say “Bearie” is closer. You wouldn’t call an actual bear “bearlike” but you might name it “Bearie”.
I didn’t say “kainen” and “mainen” arw dissimilar, but they ARE different.
tiramichu@lemm.ee 1 month ago
In English too, the colloquial name for tardigrades is “water bears” :D
Ziglin@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Not a f*ing Walter bear!