English translation of "peine" - "workers' efforts/manpower"

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112 months ago

Amanda Haste PhD, DipTrans(IoLET), MCIL, CL asked this question:

Language pair:	French > English
Subject:	Law / Certificates
Level of diffculty:	Easy / medium
Word or term in question:	peine
Context:	....que ledit Michel soit tenu de fournir autre chose que les outils & la peine des ouvriers. This is from an early 18C building contract. 'La peine' is clearly something positive rather than negative (misery, suffering) and I wondered if it could be 'pain' [M] and that the definite article has been mistranscribed to fit 'peine' [F] - a final 'n' often has a stroke after it which can look like another letter. Or is there an archaic use of 'la peine'? NB I'm having to work from the typed transcription.
Keywords:	Historic documents

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Complete list of answers and comments

112 months ago

wrote:

workers' efforts/manpower

My comment:

One possible translation of "peine" is "effort", but I think "manpower" would actually be more appropriate/accurate.

My references:

reverso.com

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

112 months ago

wrote:

Bonjour Amanda et Barbara. I agree with "worker's effort" to keep it in the parlance of the age.

112 months ago

Amanda Haste PhD, DipTrans(IoLET), MCIL, CL wrote:

Thanks, both of you. So do you reckon this is more about the employer being responsible for the overseeing of the workers? Presumably the contractor would be tresponsible for the hiring and firing.

112 months ago

Amanda Haste PhD, DipTrans(IoLET), MCIL, CL wrote:

Your welcome, Amanda. I thought it had more to do with supplying the manpower, besides the tools or equipment.

112 months ago

Amanda Haste PhD, DipTrans(IoLET), MCIL, CL wrote:

Or, if you agree w/Claude that "manpower" is too modern an expression in this instance, why don't you use "labor"?

112 months ago

Amanda Haste PhD, DipTrans(IoLET), MCIL, CL wrote:

Bonjour Amanda et Barbara. I agree with "worker's effort" to keep it in the parlance of the age.

The asker rated this answer best