railing

[cosmasad]

Hello friends,

In reference to the word "κιγκλίδωμα" for a railing (like the railing on a staircase or a balcony) am I imagining this or can we also use the word "χερούλια"? What would children say? I can't imagine them saying "κιγκλίδωμα"...

Thank you.

Cosmas

 

[antongoun]

Καλησπέρα,

They could say "κουπαστή" (handrail), or "κάγκελα". Mostly "κάγκελα". Even grown-ups would prefer these words to "κιγκλίδωμα" in their everyday language, I think (of course, if the stairs do have "κάγκελα").

 

[cosmasad]

So one wouldn't say "πιάσε τα χερούλια"?

 

[antongoun]

Without knowing the exact context, "χερούλι" is a "handle" (of a door, of a cupboard door, of a suitcase). From what I understand, what you mean to say is the holding on to the railing (κάγκελο) or bannister (κουπαστή) of a staircase.

Also, do you mean "Πιάσε" or "Πιάσου από"?

Πιάσου από το κάγκελο/τα κάγκελα = Hold on to the railing

 

[cosmasad]

Interesting. I've never heard the term "κουπαστή" but what I'm looking for is what is the most colloquial, casual way to say "hold on to the railing" referring to the railing of a stair. The kind of word that you would tell a child, though.

 

[antongoun]

ΟΚ, then one way out could be:

Πιάσου από το κάγκελο/τα κάγκελα = Hold on to the railing

 

[cosmasad]

Thank you, antongoun. I really appreciate it. It seems very simple but I wanted to get it right.

 

[antongoun]

My pleasure - as for "κουπαστή", all this time I've been trying to find some translation of a favourite verse of mine that contains this Greek word and can be found in Elytis' "The Oxopetra Elegies", in the second poem.
It goes like this:

"[...] Και της κλίμακας η κουπαστή κι εκείνη
Άβαφη κι από τις πολλές απαλές που πέρασαν παλάμες λεία!"

If you ever spot some translation of these two verses, you'll have a beautiful (poetic) example of the use of the word.


(κλίμακα: staircase, but not colloquial)

 

[nickel]

Καλημέρα σας. Handrail for κουπαστή.

"[...] Και της κλίμακας η κουπαστή κι εκείνη
Άβαφη κι από τις πολλές απαλές που πέρασαν παλάμες λεία!"

And the stairway's handrail also
Unpainted and smooth from the many gentle palms that ran over it!
(The Elegies of Jutting Rock in THE COLLECTED POEMS OF ODYSSEUS ELYTIS, Translated by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris, Johns Hopkins University Press)

 

[Earion]

And the staircase rail too
Paint-bare and from the passing of so many soft palms smooth!

Odysseas Elytis. The Oxopetra Elegies and West of Sorrow. Translated by David Connolly. (Harvard early modern and modern Greek library). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University, 2012, p. 7.

 

[cosmasad]

Haha. You guys are awesome:) I am looking for words that are more colloquial and you are reciting poetry!! Thank you:)