# Listening and being obedient



## ThomasK

How do you translate 'to be obedient' in your language? Can/ Do you use a verb linked with hearing? 

*Latin* does: _obedire_ < _audire_. 
*Dutch*: _gehoorzamen_ contains _horen_, and sometimes _luisteren _is the same as _gehoorzamen. In our dialects we still have hoorken, which reminds us of... _
*German*:_ gehorchen (< hören),_ not _zuhören._ 
*French :*_ obéir_ refers to the Latin verb, but is not linked with _écouter._ 

*Italian*: _ubbidire/ obbedire_ can mean both respond and be obedient, so I think, but I am not quite sure.


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## jazyk

In Portuguese the verb is obedecer and the adjective is obediente. I've never heard ouvir or escutar in the sense of obedecer in Portuguese.


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## sakvaka

In *Finnish* the verb is _kuulla_ and the adjective _kuuliainen_ (=obedient).


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## rusita preciosa

In Russian *be obedient* it is a reflexive form of *listen*
слушать [slushat] - listen
слушаться [slushatsia] - be obedient (literally, "listen oneself")


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## bibax

Czech:

*slyšeti* = to hear;
*poslouchati* = 1. to listen 2. to obey;

Both verbs have the same root (-slyš-, -slouch-, -sluš-), but in different grades (the roots with š are before front vowels).

The verb *poslouchati* in the sense _to obey_ is often used in passive constructions:

*býti poslušen* = to be obedient;


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## bibax

Latin:

*audire* = to hear;
*oboedire* (umlaut au -> oe) = to obey;

Latin has also:

*auscultare* (from auris/*ausis _ear_) = 1. to listen (carefully) 2. to obey;

*obtemperare* = to obey;

Siti tuae ausculta! _Obey your thirst!_ _(the Coca-Cola slogan for Ancient Rome)_


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## phosphore

bibax said:


> Czech:
> 
> *slyšeti* = to hear;
> *poslouchati* = 1. to listen 2. to obey;
> 
> Both verbs have the same root (-slyš-, -slouch-, -sluš-), but in different grades (the roots with š are before front vowels).
> 
> The verb *poslouchati* in the sense _to obey_ is often used in passive constructions:
> 
> *býti poslušen* = to be obedient;


 
Serbian:

slušati (imp.) - to listen
poslušati (perf.) - 1. to listen, 2. to obey

poslušan - obedient
biti poslušan - to be obedient


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## Encolpius

In *Hungarian *there is a connection between hearing and being obedient. 

hallgat valamit = listen to something
hallgat valakire = be obedient (the grammatical case is only different)


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## ThomasK

In Swedish I found: _lyda_ versus _lyssna_, which seem related. 

In Czech there seems to be one verb only for both: _poslouchat_.


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## sakvaka

ThomasK said:


> In Swedish I found: _lyda_ versus _lyssna_, which seem related.



_Lyda_ is translated 1. _to obey, to listen, to follow_ 2. _to have a specific [word] form_. 

For _obedient_ my Swedish dictionary gives the words _hörsam_ ("hearsome") and _lydig_ ("obeying, listening").


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## RaLo18

In Hebrew
להיות ממושמע (_lihiyot memushma'_) - to be obedient.
לשמוע (_lismo'a_) - to hear.
Both come from the root ש-מ-ע (Sh-M-').


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## ThomasK

OH yes, as in Shema Israel ! is _listen_ just the same as _to obey_ ? 

What do you mean by _Lyda_ (2), Sakvaka ?


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## franz rod

> *Italian*: _ubbidire/ obbedire_ can mean both respond and be obedient, so I think, but I am not quite sure.


In Italian obbedire and ubbidire means only to be obedient.


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## ThomasK

Well, at some site I had found 'respond' as a second meaning of obb/ubb. Maybe the site was no good.

Now the association between obeying and listening seems almost self-evident. I am just wondering now *whether there is any quite different word for obeying, not linked with listening*.


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## sakvaka

ThomasK said:


> What do you mean by _Lyda_ (2), Sakvaka ?



This use is similar to Finnish _kuulua_ (=to be heard). In English, however, the word _read _is used in this context. Here are some examples:

_Kirjastasi löytyi mielenkiintoinen kohta. Se kuuluu näin: __"Minä katsoin..._"
I found an interesting passage in your book. It reads ("is heard"): "I was just looking at..."

_Från och med den 1 januari 2003 skall artikel 4.1, första stycket, lyda: ”Banken skall..."_
As from 1 January 2003, the first subparagraph of Article 4.1 shall read ("be heard"): "The bank shall..."*

As I said before, the second meaning of _lyda_ is "to have a specific [word] form". Feel free to compare this with _read_.

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* adapted from http://www.eib.org/attachments/general/events/pv_capital_en.pdf


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## bibax

> I am just wondering now whether there is any quite different word for obeying, not linked with listening.


In Latin: *obtemperare* = to obey

imperio populi Romani obtemperare (Caes.)
te audi, tibi obtempera (Cic.)

In English: *to obtemperate* (obviously direct loanword from Latin)

_temperare_ has nothing in common with listening

In Czech: there is no suitable universal synonym to _poslouchat (= 1. to listen 2. to obey)_.


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## ThomasK

Indeed, could it not be translated as to control oneself? 

What do you mean by "there is no suitable universal synonym to _poslouchat " ?_


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## bibax

I meant that in Czech there is no other verb with the meaning _to obey_ than _poslouchat_. Sure there are some periphrastic contruction, e.g. *řídit se pokyny* _(= to follow instructions)_.

But it would sound strange to say little children "Řiďte se pokyny svých rodičů!" _(= Follow the instructions of your parents!")_ instead of "Poslouchejte rodiče!" _(= Obey/mind your parents!")_

On the other side it is commoner to say "Řiďte se pokyny svého průvodce." _(= follow the instructions of your tour guide)_ than "Poslouchejte svého průvodce." _(= obey your tour guide)_.


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## Tamar

> In Hebrew
> להיות ממושמע (_lihiyot memushma'_) - to be obedient.
> לשמוע (_lishmo'a_) - to hear.
> Both come from the root ש-מ-ע (Sh-M-').


 
But there's also the verb לציית [letsayet] = to obey.
Obedient = צייתן [tsaytan] (m.) צייתנית [tsaytanit] (f.)
Obedience = צייתנות [tsaytanut]



> OH yes, as in Shema Israel ! is _listen_ just the same as _to obey_ ?


Listen does not mean to obey, it means להקשיב [lehakshiv]. לשמוע means to hear (http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1536263)


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## ThomasK

Could you trace the root of letsayet, Tamar ? Is it somehow a metaphor ?


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## Tamar

No, I can't  

But: I looked at the definition of [tsaytan] and found a another meaning I did not know about (I've never heard this word used like that) - tsaytan is someone who is curious and loves listening to what other people have to say.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
Ακούω (ak*u*o, to listen)->Υπακούω (ipak*u*o, to obey); compound word made by joining the ancient preposition ὑπό/hỳpó and the verb ακούω, ak*u*o.
The obedient:
Υπάκουος, -η, -ο (ip*a*kuos, _m._, ip*a*kui, _f._, ip*a*kuo, _n._)


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## Tamar

> Could you trace the root of letsayet


I asked the help of another forum, it's the Hebrew language forum on tapuz.co.il (it's an Israeli forums site);
the root is apparently a disputable issue, but - _letsayet_ = _lishmo'a_ (to obey=to hear).


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## ThomasK

Good Lord, you really need not go through too much trouble, you know ! But I understand there is a link with hearing again. (Thanks !)


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