Each language has its own unique words that don’t exist in other languages. Here are two links to blog posts about words that exist in other languages, but not in English. The 1st one includes an infographic…
21 Emotions for Which There are No Words in English
25 Handy Words That Simply Don’t Exist In English
Here are some of my favorites from both posts:
Gezelligheid (Dutch) – "Comfort and coziness of being at home, with friends, with loved ones, general togetherness." Some people think this concept is at the heart of Dutch culture. How nice!
Hygge (Danish) – "Comfort and coziness. The feeling of enjoying food and drink with friends and family"
Duende (Spanish) – "A climactic show of spirit in a performance or work of art, which might be fulfilled in flamenco dancing, or bull-fighting, etc."
Gigil (pronounced Gheegle; Filipino) – "The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute."
Hat tip: The Dish
This article was posted on Saturday, January 12th, 2013 at 5:57 pm and is filed under Canada, Countries & Cultures, England, Languages, USA, Words & Phrases, World Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
2 Responses to “Words That Don’t Exist in English”
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January 21st, 2013 at 11:13 am
Anne wrote: “I was just reading an article and it mentioned ‘the Portuguese have a word, saudade, for a yearning for something that never existed in the first place.'”
That’s a great word! Thanks Anne!
January 25th, 2013 at 11:38 am
Here are a copy of more interesting words I found:
Prozvonit (Czech) – to call a mobile phone and let it ring once, so that the other person will call back, saving the first caller money.
Tartle (Scottish) – To hesitate while introducing someone due to having forgotten his/her name.
Shemomedjamo (Georgian) – To continue eating food even though you’re already full, just because you like the taste of the food so much.
Source: Top Ten Awesomely Untranslatable Words and Their Meanings.