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Polish Hideout? Zambian Shave? Translating The "Meta" Meanings Of Facebook’s New Name

The embattled U.S. tech giant has unveiled a new name for its holding company: Meta. It will do little to soften the rising criticism of Facebook's practices. Indeed, across the world's many languages, we find the new name translates into all kinds of good content.

Photo of hands zooming in on a phone screen that displays the logo and name of Facebook's new name, Meta.

What's in a meta name...?

Mark Zuckerberg's unveiling of the new name for his company was a global event. And the choice has an international (ancient) ring: Meta, a word that tends to be used today to mean self-referencing, though the Greek prefix μετα refers to "after" or "beyond." Yes, another sign of the limitlessness of Zuck's ambitions.


But to paraphrase Spiderman, with great ambitions comes at least a bit of foolishness. And choosing a four-letter word with global roots was bound to create a rolling, international faux pas (that's French for false step!). Meta, it turns out, has many different (and sometimes unpleasant) meanings in different languages and cultures around the world. Here's a quick sampling:

Something fishy in Sweden

GIF of a child scared by the fish he's just caughtGiphy


In Sweden, a country of 100,000 lakes, "meta" is the word for angle fishing. While meta is the preferred method for catching perch, the Swedish Association for Sport Fishing notes that with the proper technique and bait, this primitive approach can in fact be used to catch all the common fish found in the northern country.

From Italy: chariot races and poop

It all started in the Roman circuses, where the word "meta" meant the cone-shaped columns in the middle of the arena that marked the turning points for carriages — it was the most exciting and dangerous part of the chariot races. From its Latin origins, the word meta turned into "objective" or "final destination" in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

But searching further, Italians may find a more archaic meaning of the word that is still used in agriculture: Meta is the name given to the pyramid-shaped piles of straw, hay, manure and excrement rising in the fields. And as a consequence, it also means "excrement of a large animal, emitted at once".

If Italians won't immediately connect the new tech giant's name to a conic-shaped pile of excrement, then they may incur in another mistake. While messaging people, we now tend to leave out accents. So meta can easily be confused with an accentless metà, or half. As children's book author Gianni Rodari wrote, "because of an accent someone thought he was at the goal and was just halfway".

Colombia won’t sue

In one remote corner of Colombia, the rebranding was welcomed. Juan Guillermo Zuluaga, the Governor of the central department of Meta — named after the Meta River that originates in the Andes — humorously said on Twitter that he's already met up with Mark Zuckerberg and won't sue Facebook for appropriating the name. "We all fit in Meta," he tweeted, sharing an invitation to Meta's largest cultural event: the International Tournament of Joropo dance.


Hairy in Malawi

GIF of Mark ZuckerbergGiphy


In Chichewa, a language common to the African nations of Malawi and Zambia, Meta means "to shave." That shouldn't be much of a problem for Mark Zuckerberg...but what's Chichewa for nice haircut?

Speakeasy notes from Poland

In Polish, one formal meaning of the word is similar to the Italian one linking to destination, or finish line. But as a Facebook commenter noted, it's also used in Poland to mean a hiding place for criminals or somewhere to buy illegal alcohol. How do you say that in Palo Alto? Safe House? Speakeasy? Bootlegger den?!

Catalan speed IRL

In Catalan, it's short for metamfetamina, i.e., meth. Awkward.

Under the Bulgarian rug

Giphy


Meta is "I sweep" in Bulgarian. Here is a Bulgarian director's take on it:

"I sweep, you sweep, he sweeps… The big sweeping is shaping up…"

Hebrew R.I.P.

The bad news for Meta P.R. teams in Israel is that their new company sounds like מֵתָה‎, the Hebrew word for "dead." The good news is that it only applies to the feminine form of the word. Let's say it's not a half-bad name choice!

Ultimate Urdu suggestion

In Urdu, the official language of Pakistan, meta means "Delete." We know Facebook doesn't like to remove offensive content, but maybe this is the ultimate suggestion on this rebranding.

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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

What Zelensky Won't Say Out Loud: Ukraine Is Running Short On Troops

Ukraine has a recruitment problem, with some units at only 70% of their intended strength. But President Zelensky is unwilling to talk about mass mobilization. The result is a parallel reality, with more recruitment coming from rural areas and lower classes, and some urbanites feeling victory is not too far, and their sacrifice is not needed.

photo of Zelensky and a Ukrainian soldier

Zelensky and a Ukrainian soldier.

Rustem Khalilov, Mykhailo Krygel & Olga Kyrylenko

KYIV — Walking through the center of Kyiv in the fall of 2023 can make you feel like you’ve gone back in time. The atmosphere in the city seems to transport you to either a carefree past or a promising future.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

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You'll find bustling cafes filled with people enjoying oat milk lattes, business lunches, and people zipping around on scooters.

Amongst these images of ‘normal life’, the "Field of Memory" on Maidan Square, adorned with thousands of flags bearing the names or call signs of fallen soldiers, serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing war. Lights and billboards of the Armed Forces of Ukraine beckon citizens to "join their ranks." But these often go ignored.

Military chaplain Andriy Zelinskyi has diagnosed this situation as "discursive incompatibility."

“An entirely self-contained and substantial illusion of an alternative reality has emerged,” he says. “A reality that acts as an escape from the pain, wounds, and losses of war. This alternative reality poses a significant threat to the unity needed to effectively resist Russia.”

One segment of society has been in the trenches for a year and a half, witnessing the daily horrors of destruction, injury, and the loss of comrades. Meanwhile, another segment lives on in cities like Kyiv, Lviv, or Odesa, offering donations, or just thinking about contributing, while attempting to distance themselves from the war as much as possible.

The government has also played a role in creating and maintaining this alternative reality. In its public communication, full-scale mobilization is a taboo. An honest conversation about mobilization as a guarantee for survival and eventual victory seems "out of place" when elections are looming.

Periodically, cracks in this alternative reality emerge. For instance, a publication in TIME magazine highlighted that in some military branches, personnel shortages were more critical than those of weapons and ammunition. The article was dismissed by Ukrainian authorities as nonsense.

In the meantime, without waiting for the transition to full-scale mobilization, some military units are taking matters into their own hands, actively seeking and motivating individuals who are willing to don a military uniform and bear arms.

Following the challenging defense of Bakhmut and Zaporizhzhia, it became clear that the Ukrainian military was in dire need of reinforcements.

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