Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

Avec l'expression de mes hommages les plus deferents

English translation:

With the expression of my highest esteem

Added to glossary by Emma Turner
Feb 26, 2009 12:47
15 yrs ago
5 viewers *
French term

Avec l'expression de mes hommages les plus deferents

French to English Bus/Financial General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Wasn't quite sure which field to put this under - so I'm sorry if this isn't in the right field. Basically, this appears in a letter to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a section "copy to:" at the start of the letter it says "to His Excellency the President of the Republic" and then underneath the phrase above appears.. so it's:

"Transmis copie pour information a:
- Son Excellence Monsieur le President de la Republique
(Avec l'expression de mes hommages les plus deferents)"

And then there continues a list of other people who are being CC'd into the letter. So whereas this type of phrase would usually appear at the end of a letter as a "yours sincerely/respectfully/faithfully, etc." it is appearing directly after the name of the addressee.

Any ideas on how to translate this wd be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Discussion

polyglot45 Feb 26, 2009:
something with "humble" ?
Emma Turner (asker) Feb 26, 2009:
Maybe, "with the greatest of respect"?

Proposed translations

+1
10 mins
Selected

with the expression of my highest esteem

I would say in this case

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Note added at 12 Min. (2009-02-26 13:00:36 GMT)
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Please accept, Sir, the expression of my highest esteem. (Signed) ADENAUER. Nr. 269 28. April 1950: Rundschreiben des Bundesministers für gesamtdeutsche ...
books.google.ru/books?isbn=3486561723...

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Note added at 13 Min. (2009-02-26 13:01:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

expression of my highest esteem. Nicosia, December 14, 1967. ARAOUZOS m. p.. His Excellency Dr. Ludwig Steiner. Ambassador extraordinary ...
untreaty.un.org/unts/1_60000/18/25/00035233.pdf
Peer comment(s):

agree Noël Purcell-O'Byrne : having worked in the area of protocol, I would prefer this - English tends to be less flowery!
15 mins
thank you !
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks to everyone for your responses- I decided to go with this suggestion already (translation was quite urgent) as I think it fits the best and reads fluently in English. Thanks again."
7 mins

with my most humble and respectful tribute/regards

Never seen this positioning for this sort of salutation; I would translate it in same register.
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+5
29 mins

do not translate

These salutations are so typically French and translate so awkwardly into English.

You could come up with something 'British' like 'Your obedient servant', but my instinct would be to not translate it.
Peer comment(s):

agree SJLD : and oh so African - the best ones are from French-speaking African Muslim countries though
6 mins
agree sktrans
12 mins
agree Jenn Mercer
55 mins
agree rkillings
19 hrs
agree whither has fle
1 day 5 hrs
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30 mins

With my deepest respect

another idea....
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41 mins

With my most distinguished respects

another option, although I would just say "Respectfully yours"
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