They also no longer had the feeling that they were being talked down by men in smaller groups.

hth, Angie

Guess the tense was wrong above:

They also no longer have the impression that they are being talked down to by men in smaller groups.

In smaller groups, they do not feel, like they did before, talked down by men.

Niederreden = to belittle someone

To talk someone down = to address someone as though he/she were a social or intellectual inferior.

Example: "Credit the child with some intelligence, try to avoid talking down."

Or:

"Whatever their technical knowledge may be, adult students have a good deal of practical experience: they greatly resent being talked down to." (Variation: to be talked down to.)

Source: Oxford Dictionary of current idiomatic English, Phrasal verbs.

I hope this helps.

Cheers !

That's a saying in the USA, when someone just keeps an prattling away.

Just a suggestion. I don't know if the English sentence is correct, it might need some attention.
But "talking over their heads" evokes in me the image of a child standing there while the adults talk above it, not including it - that's very similar to how I would see "niederreden", i.e. the women didn't have a voice because the men were on about their "more important" things all the time.

In Canada, as well as in England, at least according to my Oxford Phrasal Verb Dictionary, "to talk down" means "to take on superior airs".

I can only go by what my dictionaries say, although I am not saying that Kim is wrong, he has his own sources. Besides, what makes this case difficult is the fact that there exists no official explanation of "niederreden" in any German dictionary.

Here are three excerpts to substantiate what I had earlier suggested--which should lift the confusion, if any:

1) talk down (to) [note that the "to" is in parentheses, hence optional]:

(informal) to address sb as though he were a social or intellectual inferior

Example: Credit the child with some intelligence; try to avoid talking down.

[Source: Oxford Dict. of current Idiomatic English, Phrasal Verbs]

***

to talk down: to speak to someone in a superior manner

[Source: The Penguin Canadian Dictionary]

***

to talk down: to speak condescendingly, to belittle, to disparage.
"He talks down his competitor's products".

[Source: Gage Canadian Dictionary, Gage Educational Publishing Company]

***

Conclusion: To talk down definitely means "to belittle, to speak condescendingly". However, I do not doubt that it has a second meaning, as in "to silence", as explained by Kim. The English I speak is Canadian English, which is closer to British English, in many instances in spelling and meaning. Furthermore, as long as we don't really know what "niederreden" means, there is a strong possibility that it might mean either to belittle or to silence.

How's that for a linguisitic lesson !

Hello !

Has anyone taken the pains of looking into the Webster's?

To talk down = to belittle. No mention of "to silence" nor the second preposition "to".

En fait, cela dépend du contexte. In some cases, to silence may apply

In other dictionaries, to talk down to is actually listed as to talk in a condescending manner (Cobuilt).

So, make of it what you like ! But check out the Webster's, si vous voulez bien.

I just heard one of the hosts of Crossfire (CNN), Mr. Tucker say "[...] is accused of talking down the economy"

A live example of "to talk down" without "to". The context reveals that the meaning "to silence" really does not apply.

Best regards,
Connie