about_in_other_words
When ideas fail, words come in handy. But sometimes you can’t
find the right word, and what you want to say can’t be found in
the dictionary. English has its limitations, but the expression
you’re searching for may exist in another language. In Other
Words is a unique collection of well-known and absolutely obscure
“untranslatables”—linguistic gems that convey a
feeling or notion with satisfying precision yet resist simple
translation.
This quirky lexicon of hard-to-translate words
gives the reader a new way to look at the world and how words relate to
us. The words are arranged by region or country of origin, and a brief
introduction to each section—each done by a respected
translator—gives insight into the culture of the people as well as
the language. Each of these singular words is cleverly and thoroughly
defined, with interesting details and references throughout. The search
for that elusive mot juste may be over.
For excerpts from the book, please go to
WordsWithoutBorders.org, The Online Magazine for International Literature.
| SCHADENFREUDE (GERMAN): A wonderfully uncharitable
word meaning “to delight in another’s misfortune.”
RAZBLIUTO
(RUSSIAN): The confusing
bundle of emotions felt by Russian males for their ex-girlfriends. DUENDE (Spanish):This wonderful word captures an
entire world of passion, energy and artistic excellence, and describes a
climactic show of spirit in a performance or work of art. It now has a
depth and complexity of meaning that crossed artistic borders, from
flamenco to bullfighting. YOKO MESHI
(Japanese):“A meal eaten sideways”:This is how the Japanese
define the peculiar stress induced by speaking a foreign language. TAARRADHIN (Arabic):Arabic has no word for
“compromise”, in the sense of reaching an arrangement via
struggle and disagreement.“Taarradhin” implies a happy
solution for everyone, or “I win.You win.” It's a way of
reconciling without anyone losing face. DRACHENFUTTER (German): Meaning “dragon
fodder”, this is the offering German husbands make to their wives
when they've stayed out late or otherwise engaged in inappropriate
behavior. A nice box of chocolates, or some flowers, perhaps, to mask
the beer fumes. |
