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balbuciantes teorias da liberdade

English translation: inchoate theories of liberty//theories of liberty still in their infancy

17:47 Dec 23, 2018
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / In A 19th-Century Novel
Portuguese term or phrase: balbuciantes teorias da liberdade
Context:

A mocidade estudiosa, em grande parte, simpatizava com as balbuciantes teorias da liberdade, mais por pressentimento, que por estudo.

After the above is a mention of the French Revolution.

A couple of people seem to think that I should translate the phrase as "babbling theories of liberty", which doesn't sound quite right to me, but I don't know if there would be a better way of expressing it.

Obrigada,

Barbara
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 06:32
English translation:inchoate theories of liberty//theories of liberty still in their infancy
Explanation:
For starters, I think it's referring to theories in their infancy, as yet unsolidified. See Linguée:

P: [...] caracterizadas designadamente por uma governação mundial ainda balbuciante, por tentações hegemónicas e crescentes tensões entre [...] eur-lex.europa.eu

E: [...] conditions, characterised, inter alia, by: a form of global governance which is **still in its infancy**; temptations to pursue [...]

Merriam-Webster definition of inchoate:

: being recently begun or undertaken : INCIPIENT : being partly but not fully in existence or operation : INCOMPLETE: as a : imperfectly formed or formulated : DISORDERED, INCOHERENT, UNORGANIZED *the general plan is inchoate and incoherent, and the particular treatments disconnected— Hilary Corke* *the solar system T far out from the hub of this great wheel of stars and inchoate dust and gas— L.C.Eiseley* *vague consumer longings and inchoate needs— J.S.Gambs* b of a legal right or instrument or interest : not yet perfected : not yet made certain or specific : not yet vested : INCIPIENT, EXPECTANT, POTENTIAL, CONTINGENT, IMPERFECTED *an inchoate right of dower* *an inchoate equity* *an instrument that the law requires to be recorded is an inchoate instrument until it is recorded— Besse May Miller*
–in£cho£ate£ly adverb
–in£cho£ate£ness noun -es
Selected response from:

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 03:32
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2babbling theories of freedom
Gilmar Fernandes
3 +3inchoate theories of liberty//theories of liberty still in their infancy
Muriel Vasconcellos
2 +2fledgling theories about freedom
Ana Vozone
4liberty theory babble
airmailrpl
3murmuring theories of freedom
Mario Freitas
3clamoring theories of freedom/popular outcry
Verginia Ophof


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
babbling theories of freedom


Explanation:
suggestion

Gilmar Fernandes
United States
Local time: 06:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 103

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Oliver Simões: If "balbucionar" means "babbling", and there is such a thing is "babbling theory", why not "babbling theory of freedom"? In cases like this, literal is better IMHO. I'll post a link on the discussion board.
6 hrs
  -> Thanks Oliver :) Merry Christmas
agree  Spiridon: yes
14 hrs
  -> Thanks Spiridon :) Merry Christmas!!
neutral  Muriel Vasconcellos: 'Babbling' is what toddlers do. The 'babbling theory' that was cited is a theory about the origin of language. I'm tempted to post a Disagree, but I won't.
15 hrs
  -> Merry Christmas Muriel !!
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
fledgling theories about freedom


Explanation:
My understanding is that the author means that these theories were not really based on study and experience, and were only beginning to develop in young minds.


    https://books.google.pt/books?id=pco3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT141&lpg=PT141&dq=%22fledgling+theories%22&source=bl&ots=fDVWIiN2bX&sig=s6_nvXNNX8daW8boBd
Ana Vozone
Local time: 11:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 74

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos: I agree, Ana. I came up with a different answer, but yours is good, too. For the matter in question, I think 'liberty' would be more of a subject to theorize about. See my comment in the discussion, per Thomas Jefferson.
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, Muriel!
agree  Margarida Ataide
1 day 15 hrs
  -> Obrigada, Margarida!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
murmuring theories of freedom


Explanation:
Sugestão

Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 07:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
clamoring theories of freedom/popular outcry


Explanation:
suggestion

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 04:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 65
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
inchoate theories of liberty//theories of liberty still in their infancy


Explanation:
For starters, I think it's referring to theories in their infancy, as yet unsolidified. See Linguée:

P: [...] caracterizadas designadamente por uma governação mundial ainda balbuciante, por tentações hegemónicas e crescentes tensões entre [...] eur-lex.europa.eu

E: [...] conditions, characterised, inter alia, by: a form of global governance which is **still in its infancy**; temptations to pursue [...]

Merriam-Webster definition of inchoate:

: being recently begun or undertaken : INCIPIENT : being partly but not fully in existence or operation : INCOMPLETE: as a : imperfectly formed or formulated : DISORDERED, INCOHERENT, UNORGANIZED *the general plan is inchoate and incoherent, and the particular treatments disconnected— Hilary Corke* *the solar system T far out from the hub of this great wheel of stars and inchoate dust and gas— L.C.Eiseley* *vague consumer longings and inchoate needs— J.S.Gambs* b of a legal right or instrument or interest : not yet perfected : not yet made certain or specific : not yet vested : INCIPIENT, EXPECTANT, POTENTIAL, CONTINGENT, IMPERFECTED *an inchoate right of dower* *an inchoate equity* *an instrument that the law requires to be recorded is an inchoate instrument until it is recorded— Besse May Miller*
–in£cho£ate£ly adverb
–in£cho£ate£ness noun -es

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 03:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 100

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ana Vozone: I like yours better ;)
9 hrs
  -> Thank you, Ana!
agree  Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
9 hrs
  -> Thank you, Teresa!
agree  Margarida Ataide
1 day 9 hrs
  -> Thank you, Margarida!
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3 days 5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
liberty theory babble


Explanation:
balbuciantes teorias da liberdade => liberty theory babble

babble noun [ U ]
us ​ /ˈbæb·əl/
talk or speech that has no meaning:

babble verb
uk ​ /ˈbæb.əl/ us ​ /ˈbæb.əl/
babble verb (TALK)
[ I or T ] to talk or say something in a quick, confused, excited, or silly way

babble verb [ I/T ]
us ​ /ˈbæb·əl/
to speak quickly, in a confused, excited, or foolish way

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 07:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 80
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