# The scattering



## Serrand

Hello,

I wonder how to translate "the scattering" in "the time of the petals scattering at a wedding ceremony".

Could I write : "το σκόρπισμα των πετάλων" or "η διασπορά των πετάλων" or "ο διασκορπισμός των πετάλων" ?

Thank you for your help


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## sotos

In that case we usually say "πέταγμα" (throwing). Πέταλα sounds strange. Better λουλούδια, even if they are not complete flowers. Πέταγμα λουλουδιών.


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## velisarius

I'm often given a handful of petals and rice at a wedding, to throw at the happy couple as they are being led round the altar by the priest in "the Dance of Isaiah".

_οι καλεσμένοι *ραίνουν το ζευγάρι με ρύζι και ροδοπέταλα* για να «ριζώσει» ο γάμος τους._

That's the verb I hear used, but I don't know what the equivalent noun would be.


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## Perseas

"Ραίνω" is a nice verb. It may sound formal, but I'd prefer it.

Another noun is "η ρίψη".


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## bearded

velisarius said:


> * με ρύζι ….* για να «ριζώσει»


Is that a sort of word play due to the identical pronunciation ryz/riz?


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## velisarius

Good question. I don't know for sure but I'd assume it's "folk etymology". 

Edit: Sorry, my mistake. I checked this term and it refers to "a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more familiar one"(Wikipedia).

What I meant to say was that this seems to be one of those cases where a popular belief that two unrelated words are related, because they sound as though they must be, influences usage. Perhaps the correct term would be "false etymology".


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## sotos

bearded said:


> Is that a sort of word play due to the identical pronunciation ryz/riz?


Yes.


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## bearded

Thanks to both of you for replying.


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## ioanell

Serrand said:


> "το σκόρπισμα των πετάλων" or "η διασπορά των πετάλων" or "ο διασκορπισμός των πετάλων" ?



I wouldn't prefer these translations with a noun defining another noun in genitive, but I 'd write "τη στιγμή που (οι καλεσμένοι) πετούν ροδοπέταλα..." Of course, much of the translation lies on the context.



velisarius said:


> _οι καλεσμένοι *ραίνουν το ζευγάρι με ρύζι και ροδοπέταλα* για να «ριζώσει» ο γάμος τους._



Excellent example!



bearded said:


> Is that a sort of word play...?



It's not a word play. I am sure it's folk etymology.



velisarius said:


> What I meant to say was that this seems to be one of those cases where a popular belief that two unrelated words are related, because they sound as though they must be, influences usage. Perhaps the correct term would be "false etymology".



I totally agree.
In Greek linguistic science “παρετυμολογία”, a translation loan from German “Volksetymologie”, is the word defining the false etymology of a word, that is the explanation of its origin in an unscientific way. In our case, the sounding similarity (ομοηχία in Greek) led to the popular belief that the two words “ρύζι” and “ριζώνω” are of the same family (ρύζι>ρίζα>ριζώνω) and the rice, scattered along with rose-petals on the heads of the couple, will help their marriage get (strong) roots and be firm. Consequently, “false etymology” (or popular etymology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) and “folk etymology” are very, very close terms (if not synonyms), as can be ascertained, if looked up, in different dictionaries.


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