# Sina - German female name / breast



## sinanom

Hi, this is my first and only post here. My German girlfriend whose first name is "Sina", which is quite common, recently moved to the Balearic Island and discovered that her name translates to breast in Catalan. Her full first name is actually longer, but she has been using only the first part of it.

1. How commonly known is this word?
2. How colloquial, derogatory, sexual, or scientific is the usage of it? Is it "tit", "breast" or something else?
3. Might it be funny or embarrassing to hear or read it to someone else or her?
4. Would you suggest to use another part of her first name(s)?

Thanks in advance!


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## Doraemon-

The word exists, it means breast (chest or tits) but it's not a common word at all, at least in my region. I wouldn't even think on tits if I met someone with that name. Not by the name, I mean...


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## ernest_

I agree with Doraemon. It's related to Spanish _seno_, which is a commonly used "polite" word for breast, but Catalan _sina_ is very rare, not well-known and most likely an archaism.


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## Dymn

How did she realise it? Because I agree that it is a very rare word, in fact I must admit it's the first time I've heard it. Perhaps it's a Balearic dialectal word (which island are we talking about?), although apparently this word is/was used in Western Catalonia, according to DCVB.

I personally wouldn't worry.


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## Penyafort

sinanom said:


> 1. How commonly known is this word?
> 2. How colloquial, derogatory, sexual, or scientific is the usage of it? Is it "tit", "breast" or something else?
> 3. Might it be funny or embarrassing to hear or read it to someone else or her?
> 4. Would you suggest to use another part of her first name(s)?



1. It is not old fashioned or dialectal, but it is only used in formal or literary texts. It is very rare in the spoken language.
2. Not like 'tit' or even 'breast', rather like 'bosom'.
3. I personally would, but most people will not. And it is not embarrassing at all.
4. Not really.


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## Agró

I will not comment further than what my fellow foreros did, but this is a fine example of the word.

Joan Salvat-Papasseit, _L'irradiador del Port i les gavines_ (1921).

EPIGRAMA
_a Josep A. Font i Cases_

Un perfum de colors ha invadit a Margot
S'ha vestida de pressa:
I perquè hom no sabés de sa *sina *l'olor
s'ha posada una flor
                           damunt la roba fresca


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## Doraemon-

Penyafort said:


> 2. Not like 'tit' or even 'breast', rather like 'bosom'.



What's the difference?
Bosom (merriam-webster):
1
a :  the human chest and especially the front part of the chest: hugged the child to his _bosom_
b :  a woman's breasts regarded especially as a single feature: a woman with an ample _bosom_; _also_ : breast a woman's _bosoms_


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## Penyafort

Doraemon- said:


> What's the difference?
> Bosom (merriam-webster):
> 1
> a :  the human chest and especially the front part of the chest: hugged the child to his _bosom_
> b :  a woman's breasts regarded especially as a single feature: a woman with an ample _bosom_; _also_ : breast a woman's _bosoms_



Breast is a common word and used in more areas and contexts than bosom. So even if not analogous, because the usage is different, it bears some ressemblance with _pit _and _sina _in Catalan. 

Notice how the "a" definition above would correspond to the Catalan word _si_ (hugged the child to his bosom = amb una abraçada va atreure l'infant cap al seu si), which has the same origin as _sina _(Latin SINUS).


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