Thread: ¿Cómo traducir "pánfilo"?

Hola de nuevo.

Pánfilo, rey de los dorios, pertenece a la mitología griega, anterior al nacimiento de Jesucristo.

So, since there is nothing quite like it in English, which option would you use?
It's not that easy, pánfilo is not used in a mean way, right? It sounds almost as an endearment... like dummy in certain contexts. Or is it just me?

Originally Posted by solg

So, since there is nothing quite like it in English, which option would you use?
It's not that easy, pánfilo is not used in a mean way, right? It sounds almost as an endearment... like dummy in certain contexts. Or is it just me?

I'd say its meaning is along those lines as well. It's not a strong word when used by the right person.

Originally Posted by solg

RAE defines "pánfilo" as someone who is naive and a bit slow.
It comes from the Greek term pámphilos, which means "kind", which is interesting, and a bit sad, if you consider how it's used.

Apparently, it was also the name for a game involving matches and whispering the word "pánfilo", but I couldn't quite get it. Anybody knows this game?

I found this information about the game: pánfilo is game in which a person quenches a small wax candle by pronouncing the word pánfilo which otherwise must burn him.
It seems a bit creepy

Parece que hay un Pánfilo más contemporáneo que los antiguos griegos al que todos tienen muy pero muy presente, especialmente los historiadores. Se llamó Pánfilo de Narváez, y ascendió a lugarteniente del Gobernador General de Cuba.

Cito a Bartolomé de las Casas, en "Historia General de las Indias":

ese día al llegar al pueblo de Caonao, encontraron unos dos mil indígenas en una explanada, todos en cuclillas según su costumbre, con casabe y mucho pescado para obsequiarles, porque tenían junto un gran río y también cerca la mar... súbitamente sacó un español su espada, y comienzan a desbarrigar y acuchillar y matar aquellas ovejas y corderos, hombres, niños y viejos, que estaban sentados, descuidados... No dejaron a ninguno con vida.

¿Adivinen de quién estamos hablando? Y sí, siempre hay gente que quiere pasar a la historia y ser recordado por siempre...