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Sobrevenido

English translation: Undetermined / Uncertain / Undefined

10:28 Mar 13, 2024
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Government / Politics / Territorial development
Spanish term or phrase: Sobrevenido
SPAIN. This term (and yes, I've seen the glossary entries, but they are not helpful in this case) appears in an article about territorial organisation in Spain, in the list below of contrasting adjectives used to describe local development models. My issue is that I understand "sobrevienido" to be largely synonymous with the previous term in the list (Improvisado), so I'm not sure how to approach this. I've asked the client and he suggested synonyms in Spanish such as "surgido", "provenido" o "acontecido"...

Práctico -> Teórico
Improvisado -> Planificado
Sobrevenido -> Claro-definido
Informal -> Formal
Descentralizado -> Centralizado
Invisible -> Visible
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:49
English translation:Undetermined / Uncertain / Undefined
Explanation:
En realidad, "undetermined" es más un antónimo de "Claro-definido" que una traducción de "sobrevenido". Sin embargo, quizás sea una opción aceptable, acorde con la relación de términos antónimos de la que forma parte.

Otra opción podría ser "uncertain" o "undefined".
Selected response from:

María López-Contreras Conde
Spain
Local time: 16:49
Grading comment
I offered the client the choice among most of the suggestions so far and some of my own, and he replied that "undefined/unclear" where the options that most appeals to him, so I'll go with that. They certainly do have an odd turn of phrase occasionally, and I really appreciate all the suggestions and comments here.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3Undetermined / Uncertain / Undefined
María López-Contreras Conde
4 +1Random
Andrew Bramhall
4Unexpected/unexpectedly
Eileen Brophy
3haphazard
patinba
3retrospective/ly
Adrian MM.
2as and when / ad hoc
Adoración Bodoque Martínez
2Spontaneous
Helena Chavarria


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Undetermined / Uncertain / Undefined


Explanation:
En realidad, "undetermined" es más un antónimo de "Claro-definido" que una traducción de "sobrevenido". Sin embargo, quizás sea una opción aceptable, acorde con la relación de términos antónimos de la que forma parte.

Otra opción podría ser "uncertain" o "undefined".

María López-Contreras Conde
Spain
Local time: 16:49
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
I offered the client the choice among most of the suggestions so far and some of my own, and he replied that "undefined/unclear" where the options that most appeals to him, so I'll go with that. They certainly do have an odd turn of phrase occasionally, and I really appreciate all the suggestions and comments here.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Interesting. As opposites of "clearly defined" I considered impromptu/fuzzy/hazy ... but this is a more interesting take.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Toni Castano
32 mins
agree  philgoddard: Strictly speaking, the opposite of 'clearly defined' is 'unclear' or 'not clearly defined', but I agree with your explanation.
2 hrs
agree  Amy Moreno
5 days
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Random


Explanation:
Yes, I know it is normally 'aleatorio', but the literal meaning of 'sobrevenido' means 'come on top', i.e, something unplanned and unforeseen which may occur unexpectedly.

Andrew Bramhall
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:49
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: I actually considered this myself too, but it may be a bit too cheeky… :-)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Adoración Bodoque Martínez
2 mins
  -> Gracias!
neutral  Toni Castano: In the context given, "sobrevenido" has a distinct meaning, nothing to do with "random". Page 85: www.revistaestudiosregionales.com/documentos/articulos/pdf-...
25 mins
  -> Thanks. I just worked back from the literal translation; and your link ends on page 33.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
haphazard


Explanation:
haphazard
/ˌhapˈhazəd/
adjective
lacking any obvious principle of organization.
"the music business works in a haphazard fashion"

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 11:49
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 272

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrew Bramhall: Yes, but haphazard often means casual to the point of carelessness.
8 mins
neutral  Toni Castano: In the context given, "sobrevenido" has a distinct meaning, nothing to do with "haphazard". Page 85: www.revistaestudiosregionales.com/documentos/articulos/pdf-...
23 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Unexpected/unexpectedly


Explanation:
Unexpected or unexpectedly could be an option too because we don't always know what the governments are going to do these days.

Eileen Brophy
Spain
Local time: 16:49
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: What you say is correct, but I don't think this word would be used in this specific context
2 hrs
  -> OK I just offered it as an option
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
as and when / ad hoc


Explanation:
Now that we know the context, I think 'as and when' or 'ad hoc' (in the sense of 'when needed', 'when necessary') could work.

'Por ello, se va adaptando conforme se implanta (sobrevenido), con metodologías individualizadas.'
http://www.revistaestudiosregionales.com/documentos/articulo...

ad hoc
in American English
(æd ˈhɑk; æd ˈhoʊk)
for a special case only, without general application
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/ad-hoc

Adoración Bodoque Martínez
Ireland
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
Notes to answerer
Asker: I had also considered ad hoc. In fact, I think I'll ask the client again. Cheers :-)

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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sobrevenido
retrospective/ly


Explanation:
"surgido", "provenido" o "acontecido" all suggest actual with hindsight and in retrospect. as empirically based vs. target, though > Claro-definido doesn't suggest an antonym or the opposite.

Random (mis-)leads into haphazard...

Second weblink: there may be objections to the Latin of ex post facto and I think this is more retrospectively than retroactively)

Example sentence(s):
  • Por ello, se va adaptando conforme se implanta de forma sobrevenida y voluntarista, por lo que las iniciativas realizadas dependen de la voluntad, de lo que cada técnico/a considera adecuado, oportuno o conveniente (en lugar de ...manera programada).

    Reference: http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=sobr...
    Reference: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-english/government-poli...
Adrian MM.
Austria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Spontaneous


Explanation:
Spontaneous
Unpredicted
Unpremeditated

These are synonyms of 'unplanned'.

https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/another-word-for/unplanned...

Helena Chavarria
Spain
Local time: 16:49
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
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