Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Norwegian term or phrase:
skjeve hus
English translation:
housing for the homeless
Added to glossary by
Helen Johnson
Aug 1, 2007 08:18
16 yrs ago
Norwegian term
United Kingdom
Taught MA translation at Uni of Surrey
Native in: English 
Works in: Swedish to English, Danish to English, Norwegian to English
skjeve (hus)
Norwegian to English
Social Sciences
Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
housing for the needy/disadvantaged
Bruk av såkalte 'skjeve hus' overfor bostedløse er eksempler på boligløsningre som går på tvers av mer normale og vanlige løsninger.
Do they just mean 'incorrect housing', 'wrong buildings' (it has been said that, e.g., young handicapped people are sometimes put into a home largely occupied by the elderly), or is something more snide/disrespectful implied?
Advice appreciated (not sure whether it's pro/non-pro).
Do they just mean 'incorrect housing', 'wrong buildings' (it has been said that, e.g., young handicapped people are sometimes put into a home largely occupied by the elderly), or is something more snide/disrespectful implied?
Advice appreciated (not sure whether it's pro/non-pro).
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +1 | housing for the homeless |
brigidm
|
| 3 | unusual or irregular housing |
Hilde Granlund
|
| 2 | stone(d) housing |
Diarmuid Kennan
|
Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
Selected
housing for the homeless
"Skjev" in this context has nothing to do with the houses themselves, but rather with the type of residents who are intended to live there. The adj. "skjev" has gained a new meaning over the past decade or two, and is used to describe someone who has fallen (or has chosen to lie) outside society's norms of behaviour. The best example of this is "skjeve/skjeive dager" - the annual gay festival. Here the adjective is a synonym for gay, homosexual, or to describe others with sexual orientations/preferences that are in conflict with/lie outside society's norms.
The "skeve hus" in Denmark is simply a housing alternative for homeless people who, in addition to being homeless, have also become societal outsiders, for various reasons. Here's a good explanation (see URL further down for more info):
"Skæve huse i Danmark: Enkle boliger til langtids bostedsløse. Typiske skjeve husprosjekt er samlokaliserte, men frittstående, eller bolig i rekke. Boligprosjektene er selvstyrte med lite oppfølging. Ett av de mer kjente eksemplene er ”Sidesporet”; utrangerte jernbanevogner som ble omgjort til boliger. De første skjeve husene kom rundt 1990."
My suggestion is not very imaginative, I'm afraid, more an explanation of what the term stands for. Maybe further research on UK/US sites will provide a more equivalent translation.
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Note added at 22 hrs (2007-08-02 07:07:14 GMT)
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Good point, Vedis. In this case the meaning of "skjev" as I described above is also applied to the actual dwelling, i.e. outside the normal definitions of what a house should be. But I don't interpret it as meaning that there would be something sub-standard about it, just different. "alternative housing solutions", or something along those lines, perhaps.
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Note added at 1 day23 hrs (2007-08-03 07:42:01 GMT) Post-grading
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Yes, this was a bit of a challenge, Helen. And I just had a (rare) flash of inspiration - do a google with "innovative housing * homeless". I think that adding "innovative" captures at least something of the element of "skjev", that this is not just conventional housing.
The "skeve hus" in Denmark is simply a housing alternative for homeless people who, in addition to being homeless, have also become societal outsiders, for various reasons. Here's a good explanation (see URL further down for more info):
"Skæve huse i Danmark: Enkle boliger til langtids bostedsløse. Typiske skjeve husprosjekt er samlokaliserte, men frittstående, eller bolig i rekke. Boligprosjektene er selvstyrte med lite oppfølging. Ett av de mer kjente eksemplene er ”Sidesporet”; utrangerte jernbanevogner som ble omgjort til boliger. De første skjeve husene kom rundt 1990."
My suggestion is not very imaginative, I'm afraid, more an explanation of what the term stands for. Maybe further research on UK/US sites will provide a more equivalent translation.
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Note added at 22 hrs (2007-08-02 07:07:14 GMT)
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Good point, Vedis. In this case the meaning of "skjev" as I described above is also applied to the actual dwelling, i.e. outside the normal definitions of what a house should be. But I don't interpret it as meaning that there would be something sub-standard about it, just different. "alternative housing solutions", or something along those lines, perhaps.
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Note added at 1 day23 hrs (2007-08-03 07:42:01 GMT) Post-grading
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Yes, this was a bit of a challenge, Helen. And I just had a (rare) flash of inspiration - do a google with "innovative housing * homeless". I think that adding "innovative" captures at least something of the element of "skjev", that this is not just conventional housing.
Example sentence:
”Gode hus for skjeve liv” - Schandorffsgate, Oslo kommune og Kirkens Bymisjon
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Thomas Deschington (X)
: I thought about "alternative housing", but that's more ecologically related.
8 mins
|
| neutral |
Vedis Bjørndal
: It may well have to do with the houses. See:http://www.nbbl.no/include/default_template.asp?Table=Articl...
21 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "It's a difficult one, but I went with this one. .Thanks, Brigid!"
17 mins
Diarmuid Kennan
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
Specializes in field
Ireland
Reliable and accurate
Native in: English
Works in: Danish to English, Norwegian to English, Swedish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
6
stone(d) housing
Just a guess, but is this housing for people with alcohol and/or substance abuse problems? There is a similar concept in Denmark, usually mobile homes away from 'normal' residential areas. Not very successful since the intended residence feel that they are too isolated.
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Note added at 18 mins (2007-08-01 08:36:34 GMT)
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residents
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Note added at 18 mins (2007-08-01 08:36:34 GMT)
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residents
2 hrs
Hilde Granlund
Norway
Norway
Native in Norwegian
Norway
Medical degree
Native in: Norwegian
Works in: English to Norwegian, English to Norwegian (Bokmal)
unusual or irregular housing
Seems we all agree on what this is and that the Norwegian term originates in the Danish project. So this is my suggestion for an English equivalent.
Irregular homes for irregular people? They are not necessarily either stoned or gay, are they? ;-)
Irregular homes for irregular people? They are not necessarily either stoned or gay, are they? ;-)
Discussion