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What’s a freelancer in YOUR country, or A potential change of perspective that many freelancers could profit from


miiila

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A recent post by Jon, and some of the reactions, which are very typical here on the Fiverr forum, inspired me to this topic:

What is (being a) freelancer/self-employed called in your country?

In mine, it’s “selbständig”, which literally means “independent, autonomous, self-reliant, by oneself, of one’s own accord”.

The term even led to a running joke, a play on words, as, torn apart, “selbständig”, alternative spelling “selbstständig” becomes “selbst” ((your)self) + “ständig” (non-stop), so we (only half-jokingly 😉 )say that being self-employed means that you do all the work yourself, and non-stop.

So, what is being a freelancer/self-employed called in your country, and is there something you could take from it, and share with us all, like … if you want to call yourself (self-employed), how about doing your own research about your own business yourself instead of expecting other forum users (even such who don’t work in your own niche) to do it for you?

By the way, as we’re talking about words and meanings, if you have no idea where the term “freelancer” actually comes from, do a little research – not the definition, don’t look the term up in the dictionary of your choice, but find out about the origin, the history of the term, I promise it’s fun.

I’m curious to see if there’s a common theme, centered around the “self” bit, or if there are other, maybe more surprising and thought-provoking terms for this. Give us some food for thought.

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I didn’t know about the history of the word “freelancer.” Definitely very interesting. ⚔️

In Danish it is “Selvstændig” which is very close to the German version of the word. “Selvstændig” is composed of words that basically mean the same as the German equivalents. “Selv” means “self” while “stændig” is not a word on its own, but instead a part of the word “fuldstændig,” which means “whole” or “complete.” It is also used with a slightly different spelling in words like “standhaftig”, meaning steadfast.

“Selvstændig” literally means to be able to think and perform actions without referring to other people’s advice or help.

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Portugal here, and we call ourselves freelancers. No word for it in portuguese. Technically we file under “trabalhador independente”, which means independent worker. But a freelancer is a specific type of independent worker. You are an independent worker if you have a bar, for example, or a barbershop (basically any job where you don’t have a boss to report to) - and nobody would call them freelancers.

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I didn’t know about the history of the word “freelancer.” Definitely very interesting. ⚔️

In Danish it is “Selvstændig” which is very close to the German version of the word. “Selvstændig” is composed of words that basically mean the same as the German equivalents. “Selv” means “self” while “stændig” is not a word on its own, but instead a part of the word “fuldstændig,” which means “whole” or “complete.” It is also used with a slightly different spelling in words like “standhaftig”, meaning steadfast.

“Selvstændig” literally means to be able to think and perform actions without referring to other people’s advice or help.

I didn’t know about the history of the word “freelancer.”

I would rather be a freelancer now, than when the word was created (and what it represented). 😉

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Portugal here, and we call ourselves freelancers. No word for it in portuguese. Technically we file under “trabalhador independente”, which means independent worker. But a freelancer is a specific type of independent worker. You are an independent worker if you have a bar, for example, or a barbershop (basically any job where you don’t have a boss to report to) - and nobody would call them freelancers.

So, “freelancer” is just used colloquially, though, and on all official forms and such, “for all intents and purposes”, people who are called freelancers, are considered “trabalhadores independentes”, right?

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So, “freelancer” is just used colloquially, though, and on all official forms and such, “for all intents and purposes”, people who are called freelancers, are considered “trabalhadores independentes”, right?

Yes. But freelancer is a more specific term, i.e. all freelancers are independent workers, but not all independent workers are freelancers.

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Yes. But freelancer is a more specific term, i.e. all freelancers are independent workers, but not all independent workers are freelancers.

Yes, understood, if someone tells you they are a freelancer, you know right away that they don’t own a bar but do some kind of work that people would consider as freelancing, but “freelancer” isn’t used in any “official function”, you can’t make a cross for “freelancer” on, e.g., a tax form, there’s only “trabalhador/a independente”.


I would rather be a freelancer now, than when the word was created

Yeah, me too 😄


“Selvstændig” literally means to be able to think and perform actions without referring to other people’s advice or help.

This applies for German as well; interesting that “stændig” is not a word on its own in Danish, and the “whole”/“complete” bit too, we do have “vollständig”, which probably is congruent with “fuldstændig”, so it seems that “Selbständig” and “Selvstændig” are basically the same, only that the “ständig” joke isn’t possible in Danish; as it is a word on its own in German, the brain is faster to make the “ständig” = “non-stop” connection than to get from “ständig” to “vollständig”.

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In the UK, the term freelancer originally meant a mercenary soldier - they owned their own lance and owed no allegience to any “lord” or whatever. Fighting for money.

Shhh, they were supposed to research that 😉

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It’s “selbstständig” for me, too. 😃 Though I believe these days it’s also okay in German to call yourself a Freelancer.

It’s okay, yes, but try telling that your friendly local taxman or taxwoman on the phone, or the elderly lady down the road, haha.

Like in Portugal, and probably many other places, many people “in your circle” surely know what you mean if you use the word, but … 😄

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It’s okay, yes, but try telling that your friendly local taxman or taxwoman on the phone, or the elderly lady down the road, haha.

Like in Portugal, and probably many other places, many people “in your circle” surely know what you mean if you use the word, but … 😄

That’s very true 😃 I’m not generally asked by older ladies on the street what I do for a living

but if someone really doesn’t understand then I like to say “I am my own boss 😎

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I believe, the legal term is “samozaynata osoba”. Which can literally be translated as “an individual who gets themselves busy” (not in a s e x y way but I wouldn’t judge if that was the case). But the proper translation would be “self-employed”, I guess.

I do like the “busy” part of it. You need to be busy and stay busy to make a descent living out of freelancing. “Self” is also present, front and center.

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Hmm . . .

Freelancer is the name of the person who do “service” by self (not in group), not in under any company but company can hire them.

Freelance is self (the person).

Freelancing is the progress of the person do or searching the project.

Note:
If you’re working in a group (more than 1 person), you’re not a freelancer but you’re an entrepreneur.

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That’s very true 😃 I’m not generally asked by older ladies on the street what I do for a living

but if someone really doesn’t understand then I like to say “I am my own boss 😎

“I am my own boss 😎

I like that 😎

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Hmm . . .

Freelancer is the name of the person who do “service” by self (not in group), not in under any company but company can hire them.

Freelance is self (the person).

Freelancing is the progress of the person do or searching the project.

Note:

If you’re working in a group (more than 1 person), you’re not a freelancer but you’re an entrepreneur.

Freelancer is the name of the person who do “service” by self (not in group), not in under any company but company can hire them.

Is that what the term used in your language translates as, “someone who does a service by him/herself”, or do you use the term “freelancer” in your language?

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Freelancer is the name of the person who do “service” by self (not in group), not in under any company but company can hire them.

Is that what the term used in your language translates as, “someone who does a service by him/herself”, or do you use the term “freelancer” in your language?

I read it from the old article (in 2001 or 2003 if I’m not wrong the year) when I was in college and did freelance since read that article.

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A recent post by Jon, and some of the reactions, which are very typical here on the Fiverr forum, inspired me to this topic:

What is (being a) freelancer/self-employed called in your country?

In mine, it’s “selbständig”, which literally means “independent, autonomous, self-reliant, by oneself, of one’s own accord”.

The term even led to a running joke, a play on words, as, torn apart, “selbständig”, alternative spelling “selbstständig” becomes “selbst” ((your)self) + “ständig” (non-stop), so we (only half-jokingly 😉 )say that being self-employed means that you do all the work yourself, and non-stop.

So, what is being a freelancer/self-employed called in your country, and is there something you could take from it, and share with us all, like … if you want to call yourself (self-employed), how about doing your own research about your own business yourself instead of expecting other forum users (even such who don’t work in your own niche) to do it for you?

By the way, as we’re talking about words and meanings, if you have no idea where the term “freelancer” actually comes from, do a little research – not the definition, don’t look the term up in the dictionary of your choice, but find out about the origin, the history of the term, I promise it’s fun.

I’m curious to see if there’s a common theme, centered around the “self” bit, or if there are other, maybe more surprising and thought-provoking terms for this. Give us some food for thought.

Yes, I know, I know, and I know you do, and had hoped that the 😉 had disarmed the “Shhh” but I guess I should have worded my title differently, I thought this bit below would keep people who know from “spilling the beans” and show other people that doing research oneself can actually be fun … well, hope dies last, and you’re certainly entitled to lol at my Shhh, and even at my (probably mostly ;)) vain hopes 😅 (as the forum should’ve taught me by now)

By the way, as we’re talking about words and meanings, if you have no idea where the term “ freelancer ” actually comes from, do a little research – not the definition, don’t look the term up in the dictionary of your choice, but find out about the origin, the history of the term, I promise it’s fun.

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Did you mean the war thing, or that those of us here who own a barbershop shouldn’t call ourselves freelancers when in Portugal? 😉

In the term for my exact occupational title, by the way, as I put it in official forms, and as it’s called officially, the “free” makes an appearance … the “lance” not, however, although it might indeed sometimes be handy to have one at the ready to poke people who won’t give you the required info or something 🙂

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In India we use English word ‘Freelancer’ it self or Self Employed., I haven’t heard any synonym in my language…and may be it actually doesn’t exist ?

But old people who only speck local language don’t understand what I do 😃 and they are like ‘WOW’ ! 😮

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