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Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

características morfocromáticas

English translation:

physical description

Added to glossary by Giovanni Rengifo
Oct 3, 2022 14:47
1 yr ago
27 viewers *
Spanish term

características morfocromáticas

Spanish to English Law/Patents Law (general) criminal reports
This term appears at the end of a report filed with the police because of extortion and forced displacement.
It is in a section where there's detailed personal information about the informant of the crimes.
Does anyone know what they're referring to with this?
After this, it says "unknown", so that doesn't help much.

Thank you so much in advance for any answers, suggestions or tips.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 description
4 morpho-chromatic features
3 physiognomic traits
References
@ Giovanni

Discussion

Giovanni Rengifo (asker) Oct 5, 2022:
@all Thank you all for your feedback here. I ended up using "physical description" in my translation. I think everyone would agree with me that this is the safest way to go here.
Taña Dalglish Oct 3, 2022:
@ Giovanni Your question to me: "I think you're absolutely right. It seems they're referring to a "physical description" (height, skin color, glasses, etc.) of the informant here." Adoración has given you her thoughts and I will support her answer. I think "physical description" is as good as you will get. Regards.
Adoración Bodoque Martínez Oct 3, 2022:
https://www.scribd.com/document/423945476/Informe-de-Policia...
"Características morfocromáticas: AFRODESCENDIENTE, CONTEXTURA DELGADA, ESTATURA APROXIMADA MEDIA,CABELLO NEGRO CORTO."

I think "physical description" would be the equivalent for the context.

https://legalbeagle.com/5679723-definition-police-report.htm...
"For each suspect, a thorough physical description and any other known data..."

https://www.houstontx.gov/police/online_report.htm:
"Suspect information exists (such as a license plate number, surveillance photos, or a physical description of the suspect.)"

https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/get-help/help-services/how-...
"A physical description, including any tattoos, scars, birthmarks etc and what they were wearing at the time of the disappearance..."
Giovanni Rengifo (asker) Oct 3, 2022:
@allegrotrans I agree with you that this is an unusual way to refer to someone's physical description, and I think it includes "skin color" as well.
kittilina Oct 3, 2022:
Maybe Ok, so if this is a description of the person, normally (in passports for example) they put "distinctive/distinguishing marks" - moles, scars and so on. However, I have seen morphochromatic with regards to the general aspect (as in distinguishing marks, etc) used, but usually with reference to plants and animals!!
AllegroTrans Oct 3, 2022:
Could be... about the person's skin colour, but it is strangely phrased

Proposed translations

+3
22 mins
Selected

description

Cuales son las caracteristicas morfocromaticas?
EJEMPLO mide 1,68 metros, contextura mediana, cara ovalada, color de piel trigueño, ojos medianos color negro, boca pequeña, labios delgados y dentadura incompleta. Tiene un lunar en el labio superior derecho.
http://brainly.lat/tarea/6625169#

Etymologically, it means "shape and colour", but we obviously wouldn't say that.
Peer comment(s):
agree neilmac : OK, it does look like "physical description" is the most likely solution after all. Why they don't just say "description" remains a mystery...
2 mins
Thanks, very gracious of you! I don't think "physical" is necessary.
agree liz askew
6 hrs
agree AllegroTrans : I think I would say "physical description"
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you Phil. I used "physical description." I feel confident that that's the way this would appear in a police report or on an official government form."
3 hrs

physiognomic traits

Referring not only to facial features, but also body structure and skin pigment.

I'm working inductively or backwards from UK / London Met police officers' emphasis on 'physiognomy' and anatomy or, to use a back-translation technique or trick, from the way physiognomic features and/or traits might be translated into Spanish.
Example sentence:

Descripción morfocromática: contextura delgada, cara alargada, piel blanca, cabello lacio, cejas escasas, ojos medianos y de color café, boca mediana, labios medios, mentón agudo, cuello de longitud mediana y dentadura natural.

physiognomy, the study of the systematic correspondence of psychological characteristics to facial features or *body structure*.

Reference:

http://brainly.lat/tarea/6625169#

http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1981-07784-001

Peer comment(s):
neutral Taña Dalglish : Complicating things, aren't you? Conventional histories ... Jeremy Bentham, ... phrenology and physiognomy (https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article/57/6/1442/2623949), but hardly think one would find "pysiognomic" on a police report!
31 mins
neutral AllegroTrans : on a police report? have you seen it? or are you just showing off?
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
22 mins

morpho-chromatic features

AKA: morphochromatic characteristics

Seems to usually be written with a hyphen, although I don't think it's indispensable.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2022-10-03 15:10:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Morpho-" = shape,conformation
Chromatic= colour, colouration

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 30 mins (2022-10-03 15:17:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Most of the references online are to published works by non-native sounding authors. However, as they have been published in established journals, I'd be less gung-ho than phil when it comes to pooh-poohing the validity of the term.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pooh-poo...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2022-10-03 18:42:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Following the discussion, I now agree that “(physical) description” seems the most suitable option.
Example sentence:

... two main techniques are used: visual inspections (morpho-chromatic features) and histology...

Histological images of the different morphochromatic gonad maturation stages...

Reference:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jfb.15174

Peer comment(s):
neutral philgoddard : Your reference is a translation from Spanish.//Therefore it's not reliable. Can you really imagine this word on a police report?
1 min
Not really, and "physiognomy" is probably too long-winded for the plods too.
neutral AllegroTrans : with phil here
7 hrs
Me too... eventually :-)
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

21 mins
Reference:

@ Giovanni

Could it be that the report is referencing the physical (morphological) characteristics of the informant? I know this may be a wild take!

Page 3 Plastic Surgeon and Crime

https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewconten...
His "portrait parli" gave a minute description of wanted persons, based on chromatic and morphological determinations, general attributes like stoutness, carriage,
voice and social standing, and indelible marks.

morpho > morphological
Page 5
The morphology of the nose varies greatly-ranging from the markedly under-sized to the extremely over-sized type-and any shape can easily be changed by
the endo-nasal route.
Note from asker:
Hi Taña, I think you're absolutely right. It seems they're referring to a "physical description" (height, skin color, glasses, etc.) of the informant here. To be honest, I don't feel confident about using "morpho-chromatic features". What would a police report say?
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree neilmac : Yes, morphological features and skin tone/eye colour, etc.
10 mins
Thanks Neil. However, the asker has not elaborated whether it is skin tone/colour, so I would avoid this until we have more information.
agree Adrian MM.
3 hrs
Thanks.
agree AllegroTrans
1 day 1 hr
Something went wrong...
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