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Google Translate gives me "zumado" to mean buzzing. I am specifically looking for the word in the context of marketing buzz:

They created a fantastic buzz around their product launch during their marketing campaign

Is zumado correct in a generic sense? If so, does it also apply in this context as well?

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Laŭ mi zumado, en tiu kunteksto, bonas ĉar tiu radiko havas plurajn signifojn kaj unu el ili estas konfuza bruo, kiun povus estigi homoj, kaj kiu ne rilatas "z" sonon, ĝi temas pri neklara bruo voĉa.

Ekzemplo (el la vortaro PIV):

  • la senĉesa zumado de la virinaj langoj ĉirkaŭ la akuŝintino

Notu ke tiu zumado estas tamen, por la partoprenantoj, konversacio pri iu specifa temo. El ekstere ĝi aspektas zumade ĉar oni ne povas disigi la sonojn.

Alia ekzemplo, Zamenhofa ĉi foje:

  • [ĝi] aŭdis kantadon kaj muzikon, la susuradon kaj zumadon de multe da homoj

Ekzakte tiun signifon oni celas en marketika kuntektsto. La multa, daŭra kaj ne nepre klara priparolado de produkto, farita de amaso da personoj, retejoj, ĵurnaloj, ktp.

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  • I had to use Google Translate, so forgive me please for poor phrasing, etc, but: "Dankon pro la konsilo. Mi emas konsenti!"
    – Benny
    Commented Nov 16, 2020 at 12:04
  • Note that in marketing a term "buzz word" is also used. In that meaning the correct translation is frapvorto. Commented Nov 16, 2020 at 17:38
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Is zumado correct in a generic sense?

No, zum·ad·o (PIV; from the verb zum·i, which probably derives from the German verb summen) is specifically about various continuous "z"-sounds (buzzing, humming, etc.) and similar noises (e.g. how one perceives the mix of multiple concurrent discussions in a noisy bar), while the English "buzz" can be used in either a literal sense (also referring to such sounds) or in a metaphorical sense.

If so, does it also apply in this context as well?

Probably not, as a marketing "buzz" is almost surely a "buzz" in the metaphorical sense. While it might be "loud" and "noisy", it could be so in a literal or metaphorical sense and in either case probably isn't limited to "z" sounds.

While many Esperanto words can (at least colloquially) be used metaphorically even when such a meaning isn't listed in the dicitonaries, this always risks being misunderstood, if the metaphor isn't one either universal or shared by many popular languages or can for other reasons be readily and unambiguously be understood. I doubt zumado would fall in one of these categories.

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  • I am intrigued by this answer and I appreciate the depth you have gone to in providing it. My main thought is that I would say a marketing 'buzz' is a literal noise rather than metaphorical though. It's just hard to detect because it is happening over a wider geographical area than an immediate vicinity. Take when Tesla launched a car into space, people were talking about it and this was a literal noise of sorts. For now I will accept the answer from @eduardo-trápani but I'd be happy to hear more if offered. I might be misunderstanding something due to not understanding nuances of language
    – Benny
    Commented Nov 16, 2020 at 12:11

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