# a very strong man



## Encolpius

Hello, what do you call a strong man in your language (slang, informal expressions welcomed)? 

*Hungarian *
vasgyúró [vas iron + gyúró "kneader", i.e: iron-kneader]
izompacsirta [izom muscle + pacsirta sparrow]

*Czech *
lamželezo [lámat break + železo iron, i.e: iron-breaker]
hromotluk [hrom thunder + tlučet beat, i.e: thunder-beater]

Thanks.


----------



## ThomasK

The references to iron remind me of '*ijzervreter*' in Dutch (iron-eater), but that refers to a person who is not really afraid. But of course those are strong in general.

I also find references to 'klerenkast/ kleerkast' (clothes cupboard, lit., so like wardrobe), and mythological figures such as Hercules or fictitious characters such as 'Tarzan'. Not what you are looking for, I suppose...


----------



## Mori.cze

Encolpius said:


> *Czech*
> hromotluk [hrom thunder + tlučet beat, i.e: thunder-beater]


I feel _hromotluk_ more as a physically slightly awkward giant (of course huge men tend to be strong, but in this case the strength is implied only, I believe)


----------



## 810senior

In Japanese:
(mostly as slang)
ガチムチ系, ガチムチ男_gachimuchi kei, gachimuchi otoko_ (muscular style, muscular man)
マッチョ, マッチョマン_maccho, maccho man _(macho, macho man)

I love the phrase about this originating from the COMMANDO where the voices are translated in Japanese:
筋肉モリモリマッチョマンの変態_kinniku morimori macchoman no hentai_(the pervert who's muscular vigorous man) *original says:he's one gigantic motherxxcker.

It's a well-known phrase as *an internet meme* in Japan as well.


----------



## apmoy70

Greek:

*«Σφίχτερμαν»* [ˈsfixterman] (masc.), slangy language, a hybrid: MoGr adj. *«σφιχτός»* [sfiˈxtos] --> _thick, firm, tense, taut_ < Classical deverbal adj. *«σφιγκτός» spʰĭŋktós* (same meanings) < Classical v. *«σφίγγω» spʰíŋgō* --> _to bind, embrace, jam in_ (with obscure etymology) + Eng. man; «σφίχτερμαν» is the strongman who displays his developed musculature in public.

*«Κορμοράνος»* [kormoˈɾanos] (masc.), which formally refers to the bird Cormorant (genus Phalacrocoracidae), but in slangy language is the strongman < MoGr neut. noun *«κορμί» *[korˈmi] --> _body, physique, human torso, bod_ < Byz. Gr. neut. *«κορμίον» kormíon* < Classical deverbal masc. noun *«κορμός» kŏrmós* --> _clump, trunk, human torso_ < Classical v. *«κείρω» keírō* --> _to cut off hair, shave, mow off, cut down_ (PIE *(s)ker- _to cut_ cf Hitt. karš- _to cut off_; Alb. shqerr, _to tear apart_; Lith. atskirti, _to separate, discern_).

*«Σβάρτσος»* [ˈsvart͡sos] (masc.) < from Arnie's surname (Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Decades ago, the strongman was either an *«Ηρακλής»* [iɾaˈklis] (masc.) --> _Hercules_, a *«Μασίστας»* [maˈsistas] (masc.) --> _Maciste_ or a *«Κουταλιανός»* [kutaʎaˈnos] (masc.), a real person (Panagis Koutalianos) a man of Herculean power who lived in the middle of the 19th c.; he travelled Europe and North America as a weight lifter and wrestler, became a legend, and his name was synonymous with strongman in early-middle 20th c. Greece.


----------



## Encolpius

my dictionary says "cormorant" < LAT.: corvus marinus


----------



## rusita preciosa

Russian words come to mind:
*качок */katchok/ - from the verb качать (to rock/to pump), one who pumps weights
*мордоворот* /mordovorot/ -  from морда (slang for face) and воротить (to turn/skew/make uneven/ - face-breaker
*богатырь */bogatyr/ - a warrior from Russian folklore (many think that it comes from богатый/rich, but in has nothing to do with it, it comes from a Turkic honorific).

I'd say, only the last one is positive.


----------



## Armas

Finnish

kaappi = cabinet, closet, locker, cupboard
patti = lump
körmy, untranslatable
köriläs, untranslatable

The first two are slang, the last two colloquial.


----------



## Messquito

1. literal
強壯的男人
2. fixed terms
猛男(hunk)
筋肉人(borrowed from Japanese I guess)
肌肉男(muscle man)
健美先生


----------



## apmoy70

Encolpius said:


> my dictionary says "cormorant" < LAT.: corvus marinus


The name of the bird is indeed a contraction of the two Latin words, but in slangy Greek, *«κορμοράνος»* (when referring to the strongman) derives from *«κορμί»*/*«κορμός»*


----------



## ilocas2

Encolpius said:


> tlučet beat



tlučet is incorrect infinitive, correct is *tlouct*

from the rules of the Hungarian subforum:



> As learning is probably most of our visitors’/members’ major aim, *suggesting corrections for another’s mistakes can be useful and may even be asked for*.


----------



## Encolpius

Nice observation, thanks...I think we all would appreciate other's help and correction here....too bad, people do not care...we are here to learn not to chat


----------



## ger4

German: _Schrank_ ('wardrobe', as in Dutch) or _Bär_ ('bear'). Perhaps a _Bär_ is a bit similar to the Czech 'thunder-beater': big and bulky, probably strong (even though that's just implied) but maybe rather clumsy and not necessarily a skilled fighter. - Apart from that, there is the _Muskelprotz_ (_Muskel_ = muscle, _Protz_ < _protzen_ = to show off) and the universal _Macho _(who might just pretend to be strong).


----------



## Encolpius

There is a Czech word almara ("Schrank") but I think it is used only for strong women only


----------



## SuperXW

Messquito said:


> 1. literal
> 強壯的男人
> 2. fixed terms
> 猛男(hunk)
> 筋肉人(borrowed from Japanese I guess)
> 肌肉男(muscle man)
> 健美先生


Mainland Chinese is a bit different to Taiwanese Chinese.
Only 猛男, 肌肉男 are commonly used.
Also, 壮男 "strong male".

In addition, Chinese traditionally use 汉 to refer to a physical-worker male.
So there are also:
壮汉 "strong man"
彪形大汉 idiom: "tiger-like big man".


----------



## ThomasK

ThomasK said:


> The references to iron remind me of '*ijzervreter*' in Dutch (iron-eater), but that refers to a person who is not really afraid. But of course those are strong in general.
> 
> I also find references to 'klerenkast/ kleerkast' (clothes cupboard, lit., so like wardrobe), and mythological figures such as Hercules or fictitious characters such as 'Tarzan'. Not what you are looking for, I suppose...


I thought of *leeuw *(lion) but that refers to bravery rather...


----------



## sound shift

In colloquial BrE: "He's built like a brick shithouse."


----------



## rusita preciosa

Armas said:


> kaappi = cabinet, closet, locker, cupboard


In Russian we also say *шкаф* /shkaf/ - armoire/wardrobe, but it is mostly said about a big/tall man ("strong" could be implied).


----------



## bibax

Encolpius said:


> There is a Czech word almara ("Schrank") but I think it is used only for strong women only


Czech: *almara* f. (< Lat. armaria, wardrobe, шкаф) or *kredenc* f. (< Ger. Kredenz < credenza, cupboard, sideboard) is a huge, oversized woman (not too flattering);


----------



## mataripis

Strong in Modern Tagalog is Malakas. Strong Man is Malakas na Tao.A very strong man is Napakalakas na Tao. The older form Kalakasan is still used in Southern Tagalog. A very strong Person in Southern Tagalog is Kalakas na Tao. ( physical and hidden powers and talents)


----------



## ilocas2

Encolpius said:


> There is a Czech word almara ("Schrank") but I think it is used only for strong women only



In Hungarian *almara* means on apple (alma - apple, -ra - on)

if I'm mistaken, somebody correct me please


----------



## Encolpius

ilocas2 said:


> In Hungarian *almara* means on apple (alma - apple, -ra - on)
> 
> if I'm mistaken, somebody correct me please



Just a teeny-weeny mistake... alma - almára, kocsma - kocsmára, etc...


----------

