15 Comments
I think this question was a bit unfair, considering I had just had "Der Bauer" introduced as Farmer only 2 or 3 slides ago. Also, I'm in the category "Occupations" so I don't think we should be introducing Chess terms!
I also agree with jetboy. "Pawn" definition has nothing to do with occupations and was not introduced earlier.
I agree too, but find the multiple meanings here interesting...is pawn a relic from the age of knights and kings? any etymologists here?
Not an etymologist but you're right, it's interesting. Especially when I guessed that Bauer would be a construction worker (from Bau, construction), yet it turned out to be a farmer and now a pawn :)
yep Bau, bauen, Bauern and Bauernhof are quite confusing. I've always assumed that it was because farmers "build" crops.
Agreed with Jetboy. At least introduce its alternate meaning at the beginning or on a separate picture slide.
In Brazil we use this word, "peão" (pawn), for these cases: the chess piece, the person who mounts horses and take care of the farms (not the farm owner) and the person who works in constructions under the engineers orders.
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In Spanish is very common to call someone who works in a farm "peon" as well as in Chess, but it is always for subordinate persons not for farmers whom own the ground. Maybe is the same concept.
i think calling things like this "unfair" misses the point of how duolingo works.
this doesn't teach language like traditional classes.
