Thread: cañada

which is the correct translation?

low-lying wet place

gully? ravine? glen?

the context is the following:

Los Arroyos del Sauce y de Los Molles, y las Cañadas de La Totora y de Sara,

It refers to place where ther is water..

How big are the "canadas"? If they are wide enough for large cities, I'd go with "valley". If they are large enough for towns, I'd choose "canyon". "Glen" is not going to be understood by many Americans. It's rarely heard in the USA. A "gully" narrow and may have water only during the rainy season. A "ravine" is basically a large gully. A "gorge" is narrow, and I would not expect it to be the site of a town

A "glen" or a "dale" will be small, by the way. They would be suitable for towns or farms.

then I would choose "glen".. or "dale"
it is a farm

thnks!

Originally Posted by Thomas

How big are the "canadas"? If they are wide enough for large cities, I'd go with "valley". If they are large enough for towns, I'd choose "canyon". "Glen" is not going to be understood by many Americans. It's rarely heard in the USA. A "gully" narrow and may have water only during the rainy season. A "ravine" is basically a large gully. A "gorge" is narrow, and I would not expect it to be the site of a town

A "glen" or a "dale" will be small, by the way. They would be suitable for towns or farms.

and how about and low-lying wet place?

Is your audience American or British? If it's American, I'd avoid "glen" or "dale" because the audience may not understand. My name happens to be "Dale", so I can assure you that my ears perk up when I hear the word. Yes, you will hear "glen" and "dale" as parts of the names of places (I lived in Helendale, a friend lives in Annandale, I once lived near Glendale, and I used to go to a park in Glen Helen.) However, I don't recall having heard an American say "I want to buy a sandwich at the store in the glen" or "Let's go fishing in the dale." If I said such a thing, my friends would probably die laughing. It sounds a bit "marica", frankly For an American audience, if you're talking about a farm, I'd suggest "valley".

Among Americans, about the only time you will hear "dale" is when someone sings the old military/folk song that goes, "Over hill, over dale, we will hit the dusty trail..." The song is probably 150 years old.