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Words English needs but doesn't have
Alex Tabarrok of Marginal Revolution asks, What loanwords does English need from other languages?
Loanwords, of course, are words borrowed from other languages, often to express ideas or identify items not already present in the borrowing language. Schadenfreude, for example, is a German word often used by English-speakers to describe the enjoyment of another's pain or misfortune. (Leave it to the Germans, Dennis Miller once said, to develop such an intricate vocabulary revolving around pain.) Other examples include "faux pas," "casino," "entrepeneur," and so on.
So back to the original question: What foreign words should English borrow? Commentors to the original post at MR have a number of suggestions. Among them:
- sobutilnik -- someone you share a bottle with [from Russian]
- hygge -- the comfortable and pleasant feeling of being together with friends or family [from Danish]
- picante and caliente -- spicy hot versus temperature hot [from Spanish]
- l'esprit de l'escalier -- thinking of a witty comeback too late [from French]
- otsukaresama -- "You have done hard work." A good example is when a family member gets home from a particularly long day at work - saying otsukaresama succinctly conveys your appreciation for their hard work even though they weren't doing anything specifically for you. [from Japanese]
I think the last one is my favorite. Any other additions, Gadling faithful?
Filed under: Arts and Culture
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Michael Jul 1st 2008 10:12AM
Lagom -- just right (Swedish)
Also, snart and strax -- soon and really soon (Swedish).
W.B. Jul 1st 2008 9:50PM
You mentioned "hygge" in Danish. This must be similar to "gemutlichkeit" in German.
Secret Asian Man Jul 2nd 2008 4:51AM
There's a couple of Cambodian phrases that I think needs an English equivalent:
Tirh pneit - Literally translated as "inconveniences or gets in the way of the eyes." It is roughly translated as "Offends the eyes." Basically, if you see something or someone that just irritates or pisses you off like a really messy room or your annoying neighbor coming your way and you want them to go away, you'd say, "Vieh tirh pneit nah." ("That really irritates my eyes.")
Interestly, in the Cambodian language, there are no words for "brother" or "sister." Instead, the general honorific title of "older peer" (bong) and "younger peer" (p'oan are used. These honorific titles are similar to the Japanese honorific suffix titles of "-san" and "-chan/kun." Except when used in the context of referring to family members, it is instinctively understood as referring to a sibling rather than an unrelated peer. When combined together as a compound word, "bong-p'oan" means "sibling."
eerie quark doll Jul 3rd 2008 2:15PM
this is the beauty of the english language, we freely grow and adopt other language's word; for example, 'gemütlich' (and 'gemütlichkeit') are in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Danalee Jul 3rd 2008 5:58PM
From Latvian: Remont. It means to repair, rehabilitate, renovate. . . It can be used for watches, shoes, buildings, etc. The word has the same meaning in Russian.
Adam Jul 4th 2008 7:51AM
Facety ( from Jamaica) means rude, disrespectful, insolent
Lauren Jul 4th 2008 2:34PM
Yeah, because other languages DEFINITELY don't have their own versions of the word. :/
Lans Jul 4th 2008 1:20PM
Dusha naraspashku-russian, means "unbuttoned soul", describes someone who is truly unselfish, someone who would give you the shirt off his back is you needed it. My fave expression of all time.
susan Jul 4th 2008 3:08PM
Turkish has words for Aunt or Uncle when they come from your mother vs. your father's side of the family. This would sure help keep things clear!
Michael Jul 5th 2008 1:07PM
Swedish has the same system for all aunts/uncles/grandparents. My mother is my son's farmor (father's mother), my brother is his farbror (father's brother), etc.