20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
[quote="Xephyr"]Kitties: little happy factories.[/quote]
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
#17 isn't a word, but rather a phrase. That is all.
-is female-You killed yourself. By waving a scientist around.
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
The 'untranslatable' can be attacked, of course, but that would be missing this author's point.
The point is in the last two paragraphs-- words do not only have shared meanings; they also have shared connotations. That depth is something the author wants to draw attention to, and appreciate. For that, he selected a few words that really connect to his own experience, and possibly ours.
A tad poetic, but why not.
The point is in the last two paragraphs-- words do not only have shared meanings; they also have shared connotations. That depth is something the author wants to draw attention to, and appreciate. For that, he selected a few words that really connect to his own experience, and possibly ours.
A tad poetic, but why not.
— o noth sidiritt Tormiott
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Both #1 and #20 (both of which always crop up on these lists) can be adequately translated with the Welsh hiraeth (which never crops up on any list.)
Salmoneus wrote:(NB Dewrad is behaving like an adult - a petty, sarcastic and uncharitable adult, admittedly, but none the less note the infinitely higher quality of flame)
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Also, note that as the example of schadenfreude exhibits, we can always just borrow the word in question, and the problem of translation becomes moot.
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
I think I saw it on a list once... but it was in a patronising 'wow celtic is so SPIRITUAL' format that made me want to VOMIT.Dewrad wrote:Both #1 and #20 (both of which always crop up on these lists) can be adequately translated with the Welsh hiraeth (which never crops up on any list.)
I like number 3... that's kind of covered by youth dialect 'fail', but 'fail' has a whole variety of meanings (which I imagine are 'untranslatable', actually
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
Also, isn't 14 kind of 'homesickness' (and also, incidentally, I'd argue, can be translated as 'hiraeth' if it has connotations of 'missing')?
Anyway, these are pretty good words... I'm going to try and adopt 'tingo'.
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
كان يا ما كان / يا صمت العشية / قمري هاجر في الصبح بعيدا / في العيون العسلية
tà yi póbo tsùtsùr ciivà dè!
short texts in Cuhbi
Risha Cuhbi grammar
tà yi póbo tsùtsùr ciivà dè!
short texts in Cuhbi
Risha Cuhbi grammar
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
I couldn't see what was so untranslatable about prozvonit. It's obvious it has to do with calling, and it would be even more obvious for Mecislau.
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
I like #1 a lot. But then, I'm a teenager ![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
-is female-You killed yourself. By waving a scientist around.
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
I also like toska, but I've known that feeling since I was self aware and I like Russian. I don't think it's really a "teen" thing. Not for everyone.catberry wrote:I like #1 a lot. But then, I'm a teenager
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
"Dépaysement" certainly doesn't mean that. If it's related to homesickness, it's its opposite; to be "dépaysé" is mostly positive. It's a feeling of akwardness when in a different place, but it makes you feel good, or at least, it doesn't hurt. It's the feeling of being filled with the alienness of a new country you visit, and it positively conflicts with your internalized normality. You are not missing your home country; indeed, it may lead to the opposite, where you turn out to loathe your home country.YngNghymru wrote:Also, isn't 14 kind of 'homesickness' (and also, incidentally, I'd argue, can be translated as 'hiraeth' if it has connotations of 'missing')?
(Edit : This meaning comes from a more negative meaning, which is simply to "disorient". Then again, I wouldn't use "dépayser" (litterally, "uncountrify") in such a negative way. At best, I'd use it in a way meaning "to confound someone about a place by virtue of its inherent alienness.")
"Ez amnar o amnar e cauč."
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
I did wonder why it was listed as untranslatable if it just meant 'homesickness'. That's an interesting one, then.
كان يا ما كان / يا صمت العشية / قمري هاجر في الصبح بعيدا / في العيون العسلية
tà yi póbo tsùtsùr ciivà dè!
short texts in Cuhbi
Risha Cuhbi grammar
tà yi póbo tsùtsùr ciivà dè!
short texts in Cuhbi
Risha Cuhbi grammar
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Hey! #10, a brazillian one! Well, I think isn't so untraslatable (The word "untraslatable" can, actually, be translated to Brazillian Portuguese as "intraduzível")...
#20: "Ter saudades de alguém" can be translated as "to miss someone". The proper "miss" can't be translated as one word onto Brazillian Portuguese, usually I wrote "sentir falta".
P.S.: #19 - Does duende really means that in Spanish???
#20: "Ter saudades de alguém" can be translated as "to miss someone". The proper "miss" can't be translated as one word onto Brazillian Portuguese, usually I wrote "sentir falta".
P.S.: #19 - Does duende really means that in Spanish???
If you can read portuguese and is interested on music news, [url=http://blogmusicnonstop.blogspot.com/]Music Non-Stop![/url]
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Isn't jayus something like a Chinese "cold joke?" Maybe it's not, though; the only one I've ever been told I thought was very funny.
I can't decide which one I like most. Toska, litost, Torschlusspanik, wabisabi and l'appel du vide are all pretty illuminating. Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?
I can't decide which one I like most. Toska, litost, Torschlusspanik, wabisabi and l'appel du vide are all pretty illuminating. Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Now I've readed all the posts with attention I'm thinking how strange is see that other languages don't have a word for saudade, this word is so poetic and deep, emotionally speaking...
If you can read portuguese and is interested on music news, [url=http://blogmusicnonstop.blogspot.com/]Music Non-Stop![/url]
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Toska and L'Appel du Vide are really interesting, these two and Schadenfreude are my fav on the list (along Saudade, of course).Snaka wrote:I can't decide which one I like most. Toska, litost, Torschlusspanik, wabisabi and l'appel du vide are all pretty illuminating.
If you can read portuguese and is interested on music news, [url=http://blogmusicnonstop.blogspot.com/]Music Non-Stop![/url]
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.Snaka wrote:Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?
I'm also sad they're missing the Finnish word sisu.
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
I beg to disagree, criss.Viktor77 wrote:Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.Snaka wrote:Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?
"Ez amnar o amnar e cauč."
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
I think the Brazilian slang "foda" and his verbal form "foder" could cover all the meanings of fuck...Viktor77 wrote:Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.Snaka wrote:Anyways, what are some English words that don't translate into any other language?
If you can read portuguese and is interested on music news, [url=http://blogmusicnonstop.blogspot.com/]Music Non-Stop![/url]
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
It's a compound actually, French is fond of those.catberry wrote:#17 isn't a word, but rather a phrase. That is all.
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Indeed. Homesickness is generally translated by "mal du pays".Yiuel Denjidzirc wrote:"Dépaysement" certainly doesn't mean that. If it's related to homesickness, it's its opposite; to be "dépaysé" is mostly positive. It's a feeling of akwardness when in a different place, but it makes you feel good, or at least, it doesn't hurt. It's the feeling of being filled with the alienness of a new country you visit, and it positively conflicts with your internalized normality. You are not missing your home country; indeed, it may lead to the opposite, where you turn out to loathe your home country.YngNghymru wrote:Also, isn't 14 kind of 'homesickness' (and also, incidentally, I'd argue, can be translated as 'hiraeth' if it has connotations of 'missing')?
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
I was kinda disappointed they didn't have l'esprit de l'escalier.
My favorite is Li (理), literally meaning the markings in jade, but symbolically means the fluid organization of nature, the sort of "just so" nature of the universe characterized by the Chinese view of heaven and earth.
My favorite is Li (理), literally meaning the markings in jade, but symbolically means the fluid organization of nature, the sort of "just so" nature of the universe characterized by the Chinese view of heaven and earth.
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Danish hyggelig pretty much corresponds to German gemütlich as far as I know.
Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Like fuck!Adrianovaz2007 wrote:I think the Brazilian slang "foda" and his verbal form "foder" could cover all the meanings of fuck...Viktor77 wrote:Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.
Oh, you mean Treppenwitz?Cockroach wrote:I was kinda disappointed they didn't have l'esprit de l'escalier.
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
It's because words such as Torschlusspanik why I think that german is a beautiful language.
Oh, did you heard about italian cazzo? I'm not native to english, but I think it fits fuck quite well in many situations.Viktor77 wrote:Fuck. There's no one word in any other language that can cover all the uses of the English word fuck.
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Re: 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words
Note: they only said the words couldn't be translated into ENGLISH.
For a word the other way, I doubt if many languages have a simple non-borrowed equivalent for "googly": the event in which a ball, thrown from a person's right hand in a way that does not involve flexing the elbow, to which spin has been imparted by a rotation of the wrist of the thrower, which causes the ball to drift to the left (looked at by the thrower) in the air and then reverses direction to travel sharply to the right (while still drifting back to the left/centre) upon impact with the ground, but which is thrown in such a way as to make observers expect the ball to drift to the right and turn to the left instead.
For a word the other way, I doubt if many languages have a simple non-borrowed equivalent for "googly": the event in which a ball, thrown from a person's right hand in a way that does not involve flexing the elbow, to which spin has been imparted by a rotation of the wrist of the thrower, which causes the ball to drift to the left (looked at by the thrower) in the air and then reverses direction to travel sharply to the right (while still drifting back to the left/centre) upon impact with the ground, but which is thrown in such a way as to make observers expect the ball to drift to the right and turn to the left instead.
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But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!