We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, in a Zen mood:

Wabi-sabi— It is a compound word with a long history, and carries a lot of meaning. Put succinctly, it’s a way of living that emphasizes finding beauty in imperfection, and accepting the natural cycle of growth and decay. Read a great analysis of this concept here.

Source: Beyond Words, The ALTA Blog

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We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, for lovers of the arts:

Duende— This Spanish word has a long and interesting history. Its original use was to describe a mythical entity that lives in forests, sort of like a fairy or a sprite, that possesses human beings and causes them to feel awe, fear, or a sense of beauty in their natural surroundings. Since being updated by the Spanish poet and playwright, Federico García Lorca, in the early 20th century, it is now used to refer to the mysterious power of a work of art to deeply move a person.

Source: Beyond Words, The ALTA Blog

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We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson – finally, a word for the thing that happens to me all the time! :

Tartle— A Scottish verb meaning to hesitate while introducing someone due to having forgotten his/her name.

Source: Beyond Words, the ALTA Blog

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We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, on how not to behave:

Tingo— From the Pascuense language of Easter Island, it is the act of taking objects one desires from the house of a friend by gradually borrowing all of them.
Source: http://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/2008/10/12/ten-most-difficult-words-to-translate/

Posted in Fun stuff, Language use, There's a Name For It | No Comments

We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, useful worldwide:

Prozvonit— In both the Czech and Slovak languages, this word means to call a mobile phone only to have it ring once so that the other person would call back, allowing the caller not to spend money on minutes. This concept has names in other languages as well:

Toque – Spanish
Cimanje – Croatian
Wangiri – Japanese
Toque – Brazilian Portuguese
Squillo – Italian
Prank – Australian English, some parts of England
Drop-call – Northern Ireland, some parts of England
Cimnuti – Serbian
Tizntuk – Hebrew
Scotch – South African English
Trznuti – Bosnian
Flash – some parts of Africa
Anklingeln – German

Source: Beyond Words, the ALTA Blog

Posted in Fun stuff, Language use, There's a Name For It | No Comments

We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, something of a personality test:

Ilunga (Bantu, Thsiluba, ee-LUN-ga, noun)—a person ready to forgive any abuse the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time. Identified as the world’s most difficult word to translate!

Source: BBC News

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We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, wishing you a happy Friday:

Feierabend (German, fire-AH-bend, noun) — Festive frame of mind at the end of the working day. From feire, “celebration”, and abend, “evening”

Source: They Have a Word for It, by Howard Rheingold.

Posted in Fun stuff, Language use, There's a Name For It | No Comments

We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, perfect for pondering over late-morning coffee:

Maya (Sanskrit, MAH-yah, noun)—the mistaken belief that a symbol is the same as the reality it represents

Source: They Have a Word for It, by Howard Rheingold.

Posted in Fun stuff, Language use, There's a Name For It | No Comments

We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, which could be either a bug or a feature:

Fachidiot (German, FAHCH-ee-dee-oat, noun) — Excessively narrow-minded technical expert.

Source: They Have a Word for It, by Howard Rheingold.

Posted in Fun stuff, Language use, There's a Name For It | No Comments

We love language, and this series features words from various languages around the world that capture universal, but complicated, human emotions or situations. It’s fun and (gasp!) educational, too!

We welcome your contributions!

Today’s lesson, which you might need if you’re cleaning (or shopping) this weekend:

Holopis Kuntul Baris (Indonesian, hoh-LOPE-iss COON-tool BAH-riss, noun) — A phrase uttered in order to gain extra strength when carrying heavy objects.

Source: They Have a Word for It, by Howard Rheingold.

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