Kiwiland Bear (asker) Jul 9, 2012:

I think I wll go with some derivation from "tomb". I notice that most responders gravitate in that direction too. It also fits the context well (sending your allies to their graves with a bolt of ligtning).

@Wolf, about too archaic or obscure: Normally I would agree with your observation but this is a fantasy genre complete with witches and knaves so something a little bit archaic just might be "what the doctor ordered".

I'll have to think some more about exact wording but, for the moment, I'm favoring "call of the grave" perhaps or "from beyond the grave".

Anyway, thank you all for your help, sure helped with direction to think in.

telefpro Jul 7, 2012:

good titles for Harry Poeters

kashew Jul 7, 2012:

A bit of context would assist monstrously.

Wolf Draeger Jul 7, 2012:

The wrath of Zeus? Just a suggestion...trying to think of something better for a proper answer. Think it's best to focus on what the spell is and does, and ignore the FR term altogether.

Wolf Draeger Jul 7, 2012:

Tombel = Tombelle? Or gravemound, as per Petit Robert and http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/tombelle. Not sure if that fits, though. Also, the book is directed at children and young teens, so it can't be something archaic or obscure.

kashew Jul 7, 2012:

Tombel = tomb/grave http://books.google.fr/books?id=P49St2JujeEC&pg=PA199&lpg=PA...

Catharine Cellier-Smart Jul 7, 2012:

Le tomble: old French word? I think Kashew's reply of "grave" could be right, as there are several references in old French where "tomble" is masculine (see http://www.dicocitations.com/citation_littre.php?mot=tomble or in http://www.archive.org/stream/mmoirescouronns26belggoog/mmoi... for example). But he hasn't given any supporting evidence.

Kiwiland Bear (asker) Jul 6, 2012:

@Neil: "tomble" word If it was an easy, dictionary type sort of thing, I wouldn't ask here.

But, a quick Google search from my geographical location turns up 22 uses of same. Considering how far I am from the nearest French-speaking nation that's saying a lot.

If I change (fake) my geo position to be in the middle of Paris (I used " Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche", just for the sake of it) - it turns up a couple dozen more blogs where I can't understand about 90% of it :-)

Kiwiland Bear (asker) Jul 6, 2012:

ok, a few comments/responses @Catharine: "Wolf..." is correct - that's the book I mean.

@Neil: Good idea to ask the customer...IF you could introduce me to same. This is a book published back in 1982 so I doubt I could possibly ask whoever wrote or published that what they meant. And the people who want it translated know even less about idiomatic French than I do - no help there.

Regarding the spell itself: it comes towards the end of the book and is accompanied (as almost everything there) with a stylised pencil-drawn kind of illustration. It looks to me like some thunderclouds gathering in the distance with a few lightnings/thunderbolts thrown in.

What it does: Kills all you allies coming to battle. Doesn't leave a scratch on the character but all flunkies are gone.

p.s. No misspleings either. The book is a little bit worn with a few stains here and there but no, I don't think there is any doubt as to what's printed on the page.

Neil Coffey Jul 6, 2012:

Find out what they mean by "tomble" first I'm fairly sure there's no such word as "tomble". So why not start by asking the client to find out what word is actually meant? Did they mean "tombé" for example? I doubt they meant "tombe", as the word is feminine.

And what does the spell actually do? Regardless of any literal translation, can you come up with a spell name that fits the actual action of the spell?

Wolf Draeger Jul 6, 2012:

Typo? What's a "tomble"?

Catharine, I think Kiwibear is referring to the following post:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/french_to_english/folklore/4843102...

Catharine Cellier-Smart Jul 6, 2012:

What book? Don't know what book you're referring to.
Do you have a whole sentence?