Saturday, January 5, 2019

translation - Meaning behind adding 'め' after someone's name?


I've come across this once or twice where people will say someone's name and then add '' in an irritable/victorious tone [e.g: ヒカル, マコト, etc.], but I've yet to find a textbook example explaining the reasons/meaning clearly.


My latest scenario is when one character, Daichi, is in the hospital, and his friend Hikaru comes to visit him 'since you're not the type to have girl's come and visit you/お前は女が見舞いに来るタイプじゃねーからな'.


Some time after Hikaru goes home, Daichi gets a surprise visit from a female friend. He thinks to himself:




へへーん!ボクだって女が見舞いに来るタイプなんだぞヒカル



So far, I've translated that as 'Haha! Seems I am the type to have girl's come visit" but I'm not sure what to do with 'ヒカルめ'. Take that, Hikaru? You jerk, Hikaru??? I have no clue.


If someone could explain the meaning behind this and how it can be translated as (in other situations as well as this one), I'd be very grateful.



Answer



「め」 is a suffix of contempt when attached to a noun or another person's name.


「この[犬]{いぬ}!」= "You stupid dog!"


「[許]{ゆる}せん、[田中]{たなか}!」= "Will never forgive Tanaka the bastard!"


Translation is an art. You could use whatever word you feel appropriate for the context that expresses contempt, scorn, disdain, etc.



Please note, however, that it becomes a suffix of humility when attached to the first-person pronoun 「わたくし/あたくし」. This usage is much more often seen in fiction than in real life.


「[私]{わたくし}にお[任]{まか}せくだされ。」= "Please leave it to the humble me!" You will hear subordinates say that to their bosses in period dramas.


We do not say 「ぼくめ」 or 「オレめ」 because those are far from humble. Even 「わたしめ」 without the 「く」 would be quite rare.


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