I wish English had a word for this!

The best topics from Languages & Linguistics, kept on a permanent basis.
Post Reply
User avatar
Aleco
Niš
Niš
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 6:30 am
Location: Saltnés, Norgje / Saltnes, Norway

Post by Aleco »

Ketsuban wrote:
Aleco wrote:I miss a verb like the Norwegian å grue seg :?

It means something like "to be nervous (and think a lot) about something that is going to happen in the future to oneself" :P It's a verb which is used a lot! (at least when in school. You know - tests :roll: )
"Worry".
Yeah :oops:

User avatar
Terra
Avisaru
Avisaru
Posts: 571
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 10:01 am

Post by Terra »

Aleco wrote:
Ketsuban wrote:
Aleco wrote:I miss a verb like the Norwegian å grue seg :?

It means something like "to be nervous (and think a lot) about something that is going to happen in the future to oneself" :P It's a verb which is used a lot! (at least when in school. You know - tests :roll: )
"Worry".
Yeah :oops:
One could also use "to fret". It's usually followed by "over" OR "about". Example:
I was fretting about the test last night.
I was fretting over the test last night.

TomHChappell
Avisaru
Avisaru
Posts: 807
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:58 pm

Post by TomHChappell »

"Shall we tell the queen?" "Nay, she would but fash herself unduly."

So, apparently, "fash".

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers."

So, "fret".

User avatar
Aleco
Niš
Niš
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 6:30 am
Location: Saltnés, Norgje / Saltnes, Norway

Post by Aleco »

FinalZero wrote:
Aleco wrote:
Ketsuban wrote:
Aleco wrote:I miss a verb like the Norwegian å grue seg :?

It means something like "to be nervous (and think a lot) about something that is going to happen in the future to oneself" :P It's a verb which is used a lot! (at least when in school. You know - tests :roll: )
"Worry".
Yeah :oops:
One could also use "to fret". It's usually followed by "over" OR "about". Example:
I was fretting about the test last night.
I was fretting over the test last night.
Oh? Never heard before :? Thanks though! :D

User avatar
RedFox
Niš
Niš
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:09 am
Location: Cambridge, UK
Contact:

Post by RedFox »

Soorim wrote:I miss friolenta, which is an adjective in spanish meaning to get cold easily.

You would say " Ella es muy friolenta." She gets cold very easily.
We have a word for this in my home dialect (Nottinghamshire). It's "nesh" (I believe it's from OE. nesc "soft"). I think it's a bit more derogatory than "friolenta", though, as it has overtones of being a wuss :)

Also, if you tried to use it in California, I doubt anyone would have the slightest idea what you meant!
"I wish life was not so short, he thought. Languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about."
[i]The Lost Road[/i], by J R R Tolkien

TomHChappell
Avisaru
Avisaru
Posts: 807
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:58 pm

Post by TomHChappell »

nebula wind phone wrote:
candrodor wrote:I miss jaleo from Spanish.
jaleo m (fam)
a (alboroto, ruido) racket (colloq), row (colloq), ruckus (AmE colloq)
b (confusión) muddle, mess; (desorden) mess; (problemas) hassle (colloq);
c (actividad intensa): hemos tenido mucho jaleo en casa everything’s been very hectic at home; con todo el jaleo de la mudanza
with all the upheaval of the move
d (riña) brawl; aquí no quiero jaleos I don’t want any brawling here
I know we have options in English, but it's such a broad cover-all word for so many useful things. I wouldn't know how to explain the word really.
"Clusterfuck." It can refer to a flurry of intense pointless activity, a string of misunderstandings, a situation gone horribly wrong, a hassle or a mess. (It couldn't refer to a fistfight or a loud-but-well-organized process, though, and from your definition it sounds like "jaleo" might be able to. Anyway, I'm sure it's not an exact match, but it might come close.)
"Brouhaha"?
Last edited by TomHChappell on Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Qwynegold
Smeric
Smeric
Posts: 1606
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 11:34 pm
Location: Stockholm

Post by Qwynegold »

I don't if I've already mentioned this, but "saft"? In Swedish there are two kinds of juice, "juice" and "saft". "Juice" is generally made out of fruit while "saft" is usually made out of berries and tastes much sweeter than "juice". They're also manufactured in different ways.
Image
My most recent quiz:
Eurovision Song Contest 2018

Emma
Sanci
Sanci
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:46 pm
Location: Malta

Post by Emma »

Nectar? It's not a common word in English, and in fact here in England, at least, no-one really drinks it, but you can buy it at Lidl.

User avatar
Chuma
Avisaru
Avisaru
Posts: 387
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2006 9:01 pm
Location: Hyperborea

Post by Chuma »

I think "nectar" usually means that it contains various more or less fishy ingredients. "Juice" (or "fruit juice") is just pure fruit juice, "saft" is allowed to contain a certain amount of sugar; "nectar" is not as strictly regulated.

Also, "mössa", roughly "knitted cap". I feel silly saying that I'm wearing a "cap" in the winter. I'm not a bottle.

User avatar
Wycoval
Lebom
Lebom
Posts: 110
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:49 am
Location: Body of an adult, mind of a child.
Contact:

Post by Wycoval »

We usually say 'stocking cap'. Not quite as succinct as 'mössa'.
Just saying 'cap' to me means a baseball or feed n' seed type cap.
[size=200]☧[/size]

User avatar
lankylars
Niš
Niš
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:48 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Post by lankylars »

Qwynegold wrote:I don't if I've already mentioned this, but "saft"? In Swedish there are two kinds of juice, "juice" and "saft". "Juice" is generally made out of fruit while "saft" is usually made out of berries and tastes much sweeter than "juice". They're also manufactured in different ways.
I'm confused, then, what the difference is between being made from fruit and being made from berries?

But, in response to the nectar/juice debate, for me with American English juice more often (and most properly) refers to something made with fruits (i.e. containing natural ingredients) and juice drink or _____ [insert fruit name] drink means something that has flavorings of a fruit but is not made with natural ingredients. Nectar, when used, often represents a form of juice even more natural, perhaps 100% organic or with no added sweeteners, for example.

User avatar
linguoboy
Sanno
Sanno
Posts: 3681
Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2002 9:00 am
Location: Rogers Park/Evanston

Post by linguoboy »

Chuma wrote:Also, "mössa", roughly "knitted cap". I feel silly saying that I'm wearing a "cap" in the winter. I'm not a bottle.
So say tuque. (Canadian English is English, too, y'know.)

TomHChappell
Avisaru
Avisaru
Posts: 807
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:58 pm

Post by TomHChappell »

linguoboy wrote:So say tuque. (Canadian English is English, too, y'know.)
I know how that's pronounced in Canadian English; but I honestly thought it was still spelled < toque >, as in French.

User avatar
Terra
Avisaru
Avisaru
Posts: 571
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 10:01 am

Post by Terra »

I usually say "hat" for a hat made for winter weather, but it does pose a small problem since "hat" is a very general word for some type of headgear.
I know how that's pronounced in Canadian English; but I honestly thought it was still spelled <toque>, as in French.
How is it pronounced in english? [tu:k]?

User avatar
linguoboy
Sanno
Sanno
Posts: 3681
Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2002 9:00 am
Location: Rogers Park/Evanston

Post by linguoboy »

FinalZero wrote:
I know how that's pronounced in Canadian English; but I honestly thought it was still spelled <toque>, as in French.
How is it pronounced in english? [tu:k]?
Depends whether you have yod-deletion in your variety or not. I'd say /tuwk/, but /tjuwk/ is preferred by the Canucks themselves. (As a result, I've been guilty of spelling it touque in the past.)

User avatar
Aszev
Lebom
Lebom
Posts: 139
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2004 11:43 am
Location: í Svéalandi
Contact:

Post by Aszev »

TomHChappell wrote:
linguoboy wrote:So say tuque. (Canadian English is English, too, y'know.)
I know how that's pronounced in Canadian English; but I honestly thought it was still spelled <toque>, as in French.
You can spell it tuque in French too... that's the way I'm familiar with. tuque [tsyk]
Image CERVENIAN
Image JELSH
Miekko wrote:protip: no one wants to learn your conlangs. if they claim different, it's just to be friendly. this is true for all conlangers.

User avatar
linguoboy
Sanno
Sanno
Posts: 3681
Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2002 9:00 am
Location: Rogers Park/Evanston

Post by linguoboy »

Aszev wrote:
TomHChappell wrote:
linguoboy wrote:So say tuque. (Canadian English is English, too, y'know.)
I know how that's pronounced in Canadian English; but I honestly thought it was still spelled <toque>, as in French.
You can spell it tuque in French too... that's the way I'm familiar with. tuque [tsyk]
I actually thing of a tuque and a toque as two completely different things. A toque is what a chef wears. (For that reason more commonly called a "chef's hat" IME).

TomHChappell
Avisaru
Avisaru
Posts: 807
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:58 pm

Post by TomHChappell »

linguoboy wrote:Depends whether you have yod-deletion in your variety or not. I'd say /tuwk/, but /tjuwk/ is preferred by the Canucks themselves. (As a result, I've been guilty of spelling it touque in the past.)
Really? The McKenzie brothers said [t u k], not [t ju k].

User avatar
Yiuel Raumbesrairc
Avisaru
Avisaru
Posts: 668
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2005 11:17 pm
Location: Nyeriborma, Elme, Melomers

Post by Yiuel Raumbesrairc »

linguoboy wrote:
Aszev wrote:
TomHChappell wrote:
linguoboy wrote:So say tuque. (Canadian English is English, too, y'know.)
I know how that's pronounced in Canadian English; but I honestly thought it was still spelled <toque>, as in French.
You can spell it tuque in French too... that's the way I'm familiar with. tuque [tsyk]
I actually thing of a tuque and a toque as two completely different things. A toque is what a chef wears. (For that reason more commonly called a "chef's hat" IME).
They are completely different things, and I wouldn't wear a toque at anytime, and I'd wear a tuque, but only if I don't have access to any headband, which I prefer, honestly.
"Ez amnar o amnar e cauč."
- Daneydzaus

User avatar
Qwynegold
Smeric
Smeric
Posts: 1606
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 11:34 pm
Location: Stockholm

Post by Qwynegold »

Emma wrote:Nectar? It's not a common word in English, and in fact here in England, at least, no-one really drinks it, but you can buy it at Lidl.
No, it's not nectar. Ew! I once accidentally bought pear nectar at Lidl in the belief that it was pear juice. It was disgusting.

Hmm, Wikipedia tells me that saft is made by boiling water, fruit or berries and sugar, while juice is made by squeezing it out from fruits, vegetables or berries. So the real difference is in how they are made, but generally (IMO) saft is most often made from berries while juice tends to be made out of fruit.
Image
My most recent quiz:
Eurovision Song Contest 2018

óþokki
Niš
Niš
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:48 pm

Post by óþokki »

There are two Icelandic words I miss a lot in English.

að nenna = to bother doing something/to feel like doing something

Examples:
Ég nenni ekki í skólann = I don't feel like going to school
Ég nenni ekki að passa hundinn þinn = I can't bother to watch your dog

frekja/frekur = frekja is a noun, which means "pushiness" or "a pushy person", and frekur is the adjective. As far as I know, this is a cognate with German Frech, but it does have a stronger meaning in German.
K'rr'ðr''e'ððe'''e''e'ððr'''r'kk'rr'''

Emma
Sanci
Sanci
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:46 pm
Location: Malta

Post by Emma »

Qwynegold wrote:
Emma wrote:Nectar? It's not a common word in English, and in fact here in England, at least, no-one really drinks it, but you can buy it at Lidl.
No, it's not nectar. Ew! I once accidentally bought pear nectar at Lidl in the belief that it was pear juice. It was disgusting.

Hmm, Wikipedia tells me that saft is made by boiling water, fruit or berries and sugar, while juice is made by squeezing it out from fruits, vegetables or berries. So the real difference is in how they are made, but generally (IMO) saft is most often made from berries while juice tends to be made out of fruit.
Haha, I looove Lidl's pear and peach nectars! Although I do like tonnes of sugar in everything.

That's odd about juice and saft being different things. Whenever I've bought German orange juice it's called 'Orangensaft', though. Or is it just maybe that we call both juice and Germans call both saft and other languages might distinguish more? Hmm.

Nadreck
Niš
Niš
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:40 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by Nadreck »

A friend of mine pointed out that Tagalog has two forms for "we", one that includes the person being spoken to, and one that doesn't.

Also, why does English have "starve" = to die of hunger, but no word for to die of thirst?
You can't focus on blue sky.

User avatar
Klaivas
Sanci
Sanci
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:00 pm

Post by Klaivas »

Nadreck wrote:Also, why does English have "starve" = to die of hunger, but no word for to die of thirst?
"Starve to death" is to "starve" is to "be hungry" as "die of dehydration" is to "dehydrate" is to "be thirsty".

User avatar
yssida
Niš
Niš
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:14 am

Post by yssida »

Nadreck wrote:A friend of mine pointed out that Tagalog has two forms for "we", one that includes the person being spoken to, and one that doesn't.
That's I think an inclusive/exclusive distinction IIRC. Many languages have that, and it's quite common in Austronesian languages.

kami-exclusive we
tayo-inclusive we
Folk music? Why, daddy, I don't know no other kind of music but folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song.

[size=42]-Louis Armstrong[/size]

Post Reply