I'VE GOT A FEELING
By Amy X. Wang, Reporter
Volta, a Greek word describing a leisurely stroll down the street. Jugaad, a Hindi term meaning the ability to get by. Gumusservi: Turkish for the subtle glimmer that moonlight makes on water.
Too little of the world’s astoundingly rich lexicon for feelings of beauty, positivity, and well-being exists in English alone. As such, University of East London psychology lecturer Tim Lomas has corralled some of the most striking non-English words about emotions for Westerners to appreciate. While the words describe phenomena experienced and celebrated by many cultures, no easily-expressible equivalents exist in English.
Lomas published 216 of these so-called “untranslatable” words in the Journal of Positive Psychology last week aiming to both “help expand the emotional vocabulary of English speakers” and “provide a window onto cultural differences in constructions of well-being”; the words are also neatly laid out on his website by theme.
Here are some of the loveliest, alongside translations by Lomas into their nearest-possible English definition:
Ah-un (Japanese): Unspoken communication between close friends
Að jenna (Icelandic): The ability to persevere through hard or boring tasks
Cafune (Portuguese): Tenderly running fingers through a loved one’s hair
Fargin (Yiddish): To glow with pride at the success of others
Gökotta (Swedish): Waking up early to hear the first birds sing
Gula (Spanish): The desire to eat simply for the taste
Iktsuarpok (Inuit): The anticipation felt when waiting for someone
Kreng-jai (Thai): The wish to not trouble someone by burdening them
Mbuki-mvuki (Bantu): To shed clothes to dance uninhibited
Querencia (Spanish): A secure place from which one draws strength
Santosha (Sanskrit): Contentment arising from personal interaction
Sarang (Korean): The wish to be with someone until death
Schnapsidee (German): An ingenious plan hatched while drunk
Seijaku (Japanese): Serenity in the midst of chaos
Sobremesa (Spanish): When the food is gone but the conversation is still flowing
Tarab (Arabic): Musically-induced ecstasy or enchantment
Toska (Russian): A wistful longing for one’s homeland
Uitwaaien (Dutch): Walking in the wind for fun
Waldeinsamskeit (German): A mysterious feeling of solitude in the woods
Yuan fen (Chinese): A binding force impelling a destined relationship
Yutta-hey (Cherokee): Leaving life at its zenith; departing in glory.
Lomas notes in the journal article that he plans to pursue further research on the potential benefits of his positive, emotional, “cross-cultural lexicography.” Offering readers these small glimpses of linguistic beauty seems a good start.
CHOOSE A NON-ENGLISH WORD FROM THE LIST ABOVE (or find your own)
CREATE A SLIDE FEATURING:
YOUR ORIGINAL ARTWORK (photo, drawing, digital art, etc.)
THE "UNTRANSLATABLE" WORD ALONG WITH ITS ORIGIN & DEFINITION
All visuals should further our understanding of this new term -- consider how color, font, & composition can help convey its meaning.
noun
the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge.
"the size of the English lexicon"