Original text - English - Supply and demand

Can you really calculate with these two concepts (having different levels to me)? Shouldn't it be demand and supply? Or invitation to tender/bid and offer?

CC: cucumis kafetzou

Yes you're right, I didn't know the exact english expression for the french "L'offre et la demande".

It is "supply and demand" in English, if you're talking about the economic "law", but I don't think that's what is meant here. Maybe it would make more sense to start these things with a French original than an English one.

CC: cucumis

In French as well, it is "l'offre et la demande"

Yes, demand and supply refer first and foremost to economics at a national level. But the same terms are used in a more concrete way I think, at a company level for instance. My problem was the difference in level or register - at least now they are on the same level and can be translated accordingly and the result makes sense. Of course, the frame of the concepts might be wider in finnish...

My worry is that supply is not an offer - it's how much you have available to you.

I checked here and I think "supply" is OK (economical term for French "offre"

But in french the word is the same

I guess it is the same in both registers theoretical or concrete (concrete being: la demande d'offre et l'offre). I mean if I write you a letter asking you to make me an offer/a bid or to quote me (=inivtation to bid, demande d'offre) and with the offer (l'offre) you commit yourself to sell me this product with the mentioned price.

Supply is ok for me. I wanted a short title to make people understand quickly that the cost is computed according to the market supply and demand. Ie if many people ask for Hindi transltions and very few people transalte into Hind, the cost of Hindi translations will be higher.

If you have a better idea, I'm ok but it must be short. There can be a popup with more explantions next to it.

These requests are sumitetd automatically from my language files and english is the original language. Despite it ould be a good idea that I only use french now that we have very good french-english translators here.

I still have one question, sorry I did not think of it before. Is there a mathematical meaning in the order of the words? So that the ratio is calculated dividing the first word with the second: supply/demand=x?

We put the words most often the other way around in finnish: demand and supply, but cannot use that if the order is connected to the calculation formula. And I also seem to remember that the order was like that in the first version of your request...

I'm not sure about this. I'm going to ask the other native-speaking English experts.

CC: samanthalee Tantine Una Smith

I'm lost!!

In English the term is "supply and demand", whatever the concept. I personally don't ever remember having seen this phrase written the other way round "demand and supply" (but I say personally)

As this is a title, and there will be an explanation given, I don't really see how there can be any possiblle confusion.

As to the economical/mathematic question, I'm afraid I haven't got a clue either of the question or the answer. Sorry

Tantine, the question is whether this is an accurate translation for the French term offre et demande - see jp's message above at 4 September 2007 14:57.

Hi,

Sorry about my misunderstanding.

Maybe we should put "sliding scale" in English.

sliding scale - a scale, eg of duties, varying according to variation in something else, eg prices (Chamber's 20th Century Dictionary ed 72, 1981 reprint).

Bises
Tantine

"sliding scale" is a great idea, but then what's that ratio? To be honest, I really don't understand.

CC: cucumis

I think I will keep it unchanged for now. As this feature is also not really clear in mind, I'll submit a new text if we see that "sliding scale" sounds better when it's implemented (a long time ahead)

In irish, ' supply and demand ' are translated by ' soláthar agus éileamh '