#untranslatable words

[trickster-archangel]

From my Picture Archive, today's offering is four untranslatable words I decided that were actually invented for Danny and Steve:

Now you know them too.

You're welcome.

#mcdanno #sort of #untranslatable words #i love languages

[mental-mona]

Yay, someone translated the untranslatables! Neither the Hebrew nor the transliterations are perfect, but the translations are mostly on point. Part of the problem is Hebrew being a gendered language; what precisely you say depends on your gender and the gender of the person you're talking to in many cases.

#hebrew #untranslatable words #jumblr #interesting #jewish interest #language

[tsuunytsuun]

Fun Fact about me!

My writer name, Tsuundoki, is taken from an untranslatable Japanese word: Tsuundoku (積ん読)

This is literally me as a word.

#japanese words #untranslatable words #my writer name #:>

[limerenceobject]

from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamihlapinatapai

#mamihlapinatapai #love #tierra del fuego #yaghan #untranslatable words #language #communication #humanity #wikipedia #wiki

[ringofthenibelung-blog]

Your friend shared this video with you. Watch it now! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR3PfvTH/

#untranslatable words #Serbian words

[introvertedjellybean]

I find it kinda funny when people say “there is no word for this in English” as if that is a bad thing. Like it’s super cool that there is a word for that in another language and all, but at the same time emotions and feelings are sometimes so much that we NEED lots of words. There is a reason why books have hundreds of pages just to convey a single truth or story. One word was never mean to be a replacement for raw feeling, sometimes it takes pages upon pages to express that.

That is what makes writing so hard, there is not one magic word to say what you want. Rather it’s about the artistry to combine such words to translate a emotion, experience, or unique truth.

#writing #language #books and reading #writing is an art #feelings #words #untranslatable words #food for thought

[booksandwords]

Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words by Ella Frances Sanders

Read time: <1 Day Rating: 4/5

The quote: If you take something away from this book other than some brilliant conversation starters, let it be the realisation (or affirmation) that you are human, that you are fundamentally, intrinsically bound to every single person on the planet with language and feelings. — Ella Frances Sanders

The idea explored in Lost in Translation is one of my favourites. That in which English as dominant as it is has failings, it has feelings, moments that it cannot describe. Okay, English is actually a poor language despite everything. There are some beautifully poetic entries in here nearly all of them are positive on some level, or at least bittersweet. There are words like feminicidio, Bolivia (specifically LePaz) that means a homicide where a woman is targeted and killed for being a woman, usually by a partner, but nothing that negative will be included (I just like that word). The format is effective. The right-hand page is the word, the definition and associated artwork. The left-hand page is a sold colour with a short piece of commentary and the language of origin. The matching artworks are so pretty some are better than others, yes but they are wonderful and varied. All do fit their associated words well.

Some of my favourite entries

Commuovere — Italian v. To be moved in a heartwarming way, usually relating to a story that moved you to tears.

Hiraeth — Welsh n. A homesickness for somewhere you cannot return to the nostalgia and the grief for the lost places of your past, places that never were.

Ya'Aburnee — Arabic n. Meaning "you bury me", a beautifully morbid declaration of one's hope that they will die before another person, as it would be too difficult living without them.

Drachenfutter — German n. Literally, "dragon-fodder". The gift husband gives his wife when he's trying to make up for bad behaviour.

Tsundoku — Japamese n. Leaving a book unread after being it, typically piled up together with other unread books.

Kalpa — Sanskrit n. The passing of time on a grand cosmological scale.

If I have any criticism about this book it's the font and style used for the definitions. The definitions are on the same page as the artwork can be quite hard to read. It's slightly wobbly, almost cursive writing in white with a black outline it has poor contrast and not fantastic legibility. On some of the art, it is definitely more problematic than others and I do like the idea of the more natural font style over a formal or clearly typed one. I'm wondering if this could have been improved by the font being just a little bigger or the weight of the outline a little less.

#lost in translation #untranslatable words #ella frances sanders #ktreviews #book review #read 2021 #look some of these words are just gorgeous #booklr

[satbiym]

source

#saudade #quotes #untranslatable words #aboout me #mypost #language

[vexic929]

Aftermath

Chapter 1

Chapter 2: link

Warnings: suicidal ideation

Dépite. ひふんこうがい. Martirio.

It was honestly incredible how many words there were for how Hartley was feeling as he left S.T.A.R. Labs for the last time, escorted out by four burly security guards. (That was far too many in Hartley's opinion, probably more for spectacle than any fear on Harrison's part of what Hartley would do.) He didn't want to know what Ramon or Snow or Raymond thought, what lies Harrison would tell them about his abrupt firing. More than likely, he'd make up something about Hartley trying to sabotage their progress. Which was absurd, Hartley had been fiercely dedicated to the project, anyone could see that, but Ramon at least was probably foolish enough to buy it and Snow and Raymond loyal enough to go along with it.

"Get your fucking hands off of me." Hartley snarled as one of the security guards gripped his shoulder when they approached the door.

So much for keeping his cool. But what did it matter anyway, he wasn't coming back here, he didn't need to be professional. The guard merely tightened his grip, giving Hartley a warning glare. Hartley's heart raced with anger and frustration as he shrugged off the hand and stormed out the door.

It was uncharacteristically warm for Missouri in October but he still shivered as a cold sense of betrayal gnawed at his insides. He didn't have anywhere to go, not really. He could go back to the rundown apartment he rented, but what was the point? He felt like little more than a pawn in some twisted game, destined to be sacrificed in the first few moves.

Hartley walked aimlessly through the streets of Central City for what must have been hours. He felt like screaming, like pounding his fists against the pavement until they bled. But he knew it wouldn't change anything.

His mind kept replaying the confrontation over and over again without his permission, the look of smug satisfaction on Harrison's face as he delivered the final blow. So cold, so cruel, so unlike the warm, easy smiles he'd given Hartley on quiet evenings alone. God, he felt sick.

Why did this always happen? Every good thing in his life Hartley had to ruin by opening his damn mouth. He was the common denominator in all of it. It had been his decision to come out to his parents, his decision to go looking for trouble in the accelerator - if he'd just kept his head down, stayed in his place...well, it was too late for that.

It was only the knowledge that he needed to go home and take care of his rats that led him back to his apartment and not off the edge of the nearest bridge. Hamelin and Erdős greeted him as happily as ever when he opened their cage, oblivious to the self-loathing spiral in his head, scurrying up his arms and onto his shoulders to poke their noses into his cheek, begging for treats. Hartley made his way to the kitchen and pulled out the last of the baby carrots from the bag in the fridge, cutting it into small, round pieces.

As Hartley mechanically went through the motions of caring for his pets, his mind kept returning to the injustice of it all. His fury and frustration faded into a bone-deep weariness. He sank into a kitchen chair, his head in his hands, feeling the weight of everything bearing down on him. Hamelin and Erdős paid him no mind, happily munching on carrot slices.

The ache consuming his soul was horribly familiar, his head spinning with a discordant cacophony of memories turned sour. There had to have been warning signs, red flags he'd missed. Harrison wasn't a monster, hadn't seemed so full of hubris that he'd risk the lives of his team and everyone in Central City. He'd been kind, charming...was it all a façade? He'd said he'd loved Hartley, had that just been another lie? Or had Hartley just fucked everything up as he was wont to do?

As Hartley sat there, lost in his thoughts, the despair suffocating, he felt another surge of anger rise within him. Anger at himself for being so blind, anger at Harrison for betraying him, anger at the world for being so cruel - but it left as quickly as it had come, leaving a hollow feeling in his chest. He choked on a sob, the tears hot and bitter, streaming down his cheeks unchecked. He didn't bother wiping them away as he buried his face in his hands, his body trembling as he finally allowed himself to completely break down. He couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that consumed him. He was alone now, truly alone once again, with no one to turn to and nowhere to go. He felt like the terrified, devastated 17-year-old again, not the capable adult he'd become.

Hartley let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and muffled against his palms. What was the point of being fluent in six languages if he couldn't even make himself heard? Harrison had silenced him as effectively as if he'd cut out his tongue and cut off his hands.

Hamelin and Erdős squeaked from the table, finally making Hartley look up again and wipe the tears off of his face. For a moment, Hartley envied them their simplicity. Their world consisted of food, shelter, and the occasional game of hide-and-seek in the maze he'd built for them. They didn't have to worry about betrayal or lies or the crushing weight of loneliness.

Hartley reached out and stroked Hamelin's fur gently, the repetitive motion soothing to his frazzled nerves and spiraling mind. Erdős squeaked again and squirmed his way under Hartley's hand, demanding attention as well.

Hartley's tears slowed, his breaths shaky but steadier now. He needed to pull himself together, for Hamelin and Erdős if nothing else. The thought of packing up and leaving Central City crossed his mind, of starting fresh somewhere far away from all the pain and betrayal, but he quickly dismissed it. Running away wouldn't solve anything, wouldn't make the hurt go away. Besides, Central City had been his home all his life. He couldn't - wouldn't - let Harrison fucking Wells drive him out of his own city.

With a deep breath, Hartley pushed himself up from the table and wiped his eyes once more, determined to regain some semblance of composure. His mind raced this time with possibilities; with plans for revenge, for redemption, for finding a new path forward. He wouldn't let Harrison win.

With renewed determination, Hartley set about cleaning up the kitchen, tidying his apartment, and making sure Hamelin and Erdős had everything they needed. As the evening wore on and the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the living room, Hartley found himself drifting towards his makeshift workbench in the corner. His fingers itched to tinker, to build, to create something new. To build something he could use. He put Hamelin and Erdős back in their cage and sat at the desk to begin sketching, fueled by his newfound loathing of the man he'd given everything to.

~~~~~

Dépite: French for an itching irritation or fury left by a bitter disappointment (such as being rejected by a lover)

ひふんこうがい (hifunkougai): Japanese for a righteous, miserable anger, frustration, or despair over a situation that cannot be changed

Martirio: Spanish for a situation so bad that you feel you must be sanctified after going through it

#ayy look at me actually translating the words kinda #which is funny cause these words are all technically labeled untranslatable #hartley rathaway #vexic writes #vexic lives #reversepiper #the flash #the flash cw #cw the flash #aftermath

[unreal-unearthing]

Butchered Tongue and the double meaning. Butchered tongue as in a tongue (language) that has been a target of violence- a ‘dying’ language isn’t dying of natural causes, it’s being murdered.

But also, ‘butchering’ a language being a common phrase for clumsy attempts at a language. That to learn a language stolen by colonial violence means awkward, clumsy attempts at a new tongue that should’ve been second nature. It means ‘butchering’ the pronunciation at first.

And the way the song makes this clear - all the descriptions of violence done to the Irish and the Irish language by the British. But also the descriptions of struggling to work through pronunciations of a new tongue. The road signs he grew up around are in Irish, they sound like home, but he describes his own ear as foreign. all around him and yet he must carefully work his way through these words. The joy of there still being people around who can translate and teach Irish which isn’t true of all butchered tongues.

The violence of a language that has been butchered by colonial violence alongside the hope of new life that is contained in butchering the tongue as new learners clumsily find their way through a language that is both foreign and familiar.

#hozier #unreal unearth #butchered tongue #I just have a lot of thoughts about this song #and how much Irish there is on the album #getting an entire verse in Irish at the end of de selby part 1 #and to someone from a warm climate (uiscefhuaraithe) being centered on this kinda untranslatable word #that nonetheless is a concept familiar to all

[siriusblack-the-third]

oooh is it Holi tomorrow? :DD can you give us some ideas or headcanons about James celebrating Holi with his parents/Sirius/Harry? <33

Honestly, depending on a few factors, everyone celebrates Holi on a different day (the traditions for Holi are different depending on the sect of Hinduism and region of celebration as well). Also, North Indian होली and Maharashtrian होळी (search up the differences in pronunciation, it's a bit hard to describe) are two completely different religious holidays. The Hindi होली (ho-lee) is equivalent to the Marathi "ranga panchami" (ranga- colour, panchami- fifth day of a lunar cycle). As far as I know, the Marathi होळी doesn't have an equivalent.

The traditions I'm going by are my family traditions— the Marathi traditions of my region— so i hope you enjoy. Let's goooo!

Oh yeah, this is before Harry turns eleven and goes to Hogwarts.

The day of होळी signifies the first day of spring in Maharashtra. Every year, the members of the Black-Potter family start the day by watching the sunrise together with cups of spicy chaha (marathi for chai).

The day is pretty much the usual, except for food. James cooks up a storm in the kitchen, making all the pancha pakwaan (pancha- five, pakwaan- dishes) with puran poli (a sweet flatbread), three different vegetables, rice, amti (somewhat like daal, either drunk from the bowl or poured over rice), and a traditional dessert. They invite the Weasleys, the Marauders and the Longbottoms over, and have a veritable feast for lunch and dinner. A very chaotic affair, but the Black-Potters love it.

All three of them absolutely adore panchamrut (pancha- five, amrut- nectar of the Gods. It's made of five ingredients- milk, ghee, sugar, curd, honey). Once James is done with his pooja and the naividya (the first morsel/sip of any food/drink is always offered to the Gods), the three of them pounce on the drink with all the vigour of someone who hasn't had anything to eat for days.

As the evening draws closer, Harry, the Weasley kids, Neville, and Lily and Remus out to the woods that surround the house and collect dried wood for. Meanwhile, James, Sirius and Peter gather the panchamrut and a bite each of the pancha pakwaan, and ready the porch for lighting a safe fire with the help of the Molly, Arthur, Augusta, Alice and Frank.

Just as the sun sets, the bonfire is lit, and the blaze reaches high into the sky within minutes, helped along by magic. Everyone sits around it in a circle, closing their eyes and praying— the fire signifies the destruction of the bad energy of the previous year and the purification of the soul for a better new year. Holi is the first day of spring, a mark of new beginnings, a symbol of clean slates and fresh starts. The Holi fire is where you throw all your baggage of the last year so it burns till it is gone, to prepare yourself for the upcoming year.

The pancha pakwaan and panchamrut are poured into the fire to loud cheers from the children, and then the real festivities begin. Everyone walks around the fire in a circle, howling at the top of their lungs. The sounds are slightly terrifying, especially when the darkness really sets in and the only light is the massive bonfire, but Harry loves the ferality of the entire thing. It's primal, the way the war cries rise up with the fire, echoing throughout the massive grounds of Potter Manor like the echoes of screaming ghosts.

Sometimes, Harry, Ginny and the Weasley twins start war dances instead of the howling. Those times, Bill and Charlie eagerly join in along with James, Lily and Alice, and the hard and fast thumping of their feet on the packed mud porch makes it seem like an earthquake is cracking the ground open.

Other times, they write their mistakes, insecurities, bad thoughts and regrets of the past year onto slips of paper and throw them into the fire, to signify the new start. Last year does not matter anymore; it is done and you cannot change it. You can have a new beginning, though, and Harry vows every year that he will be a better person.

James loves these times, where everyone he cares about is close to him and glowing with happiness. Holi is his favourite festival, because it is the day he and Sirius kissed for the first time. It is the day he remembers with fondness— childhood years spent with his parents and grandparents and cousins in a crowded wada (kind of like a palace but the size varies from anywhere between four bedrooms to like 70), sneaking panchamrut from under his mother's nose, dancing Garba around the fire with his Gujju friends in India, the day the Potter family first moved to Britain right before his 11th birthday. People expect his favourite festival to be Diwali or Ganpati Chaturthi because they are loud and huge and phenomenal celebrations, but his favourite is this— all his favourite people in the same place with the same happy smile and the same traditions that he loved when he had blood family.

Holi is a festival for families and loved ones, and the Black-Potters have a lot of love to go around. Family isn't defined by blood, after all.

#sirius black #harry potter #james potter #prongsfoot #bambibelle #marauders headcanon #this took such a long fucking time bro #i had no idea what to write and what not to write #and english is such an inadequate language #so many Marathi words that are untranslatable uGH #holi #marathi holi #होळी #desi harry potter #desi james potter #indian harry potter #indian james potter #indian festival #im sorry it took such a long time to answer but yeah #hope you like it!!!

[avo-kat]

10 uNtRaNsLaTaBlE german words!!!!!

wanderlust = hiking-desire

schadenfreude = harmjoy

zeitgeist = timeghost

doppelgänger = double-walker

backpfeifengesicht = bake-pipe-face

sprachgefühl = language-feel

sturmfrei = storm-free

schnapsidee = booze-idea

kopfkino = head-cinema

feierabend = celebration-evening

?? its so easy. whats the problem. use a dictionary? idiots.

#sometimes i feel like ppl make such a huge fuss abt things that dont need it #“untranslatable” but then they go and translate it #so what is it #just say “funny words” or whatever. its so stupid.

[blackhannetandco]

Always going insane over the end of ep 3: the way the music is ominous as Blackbeard steps out of the fog and contemplates Stede - gentles as Stede asks, "You've heard about me?" - the pause as we take in Blackbeard's confirmation - and finally the burst of sound that's almost revelatory, almost hymn-like, a match to the look of joy on Stede's face. A signal of something pivotal. The feeling that's not love at first sight, but subconscious recognition: it's going to be you.

#theres an untranslatable word for that last part in another language but i cant find it #blackbonnet #ofmd #my posts

[meezer]

I've had this post in my head for a long time and I just need to make it even though I don't neccesarily agree with it:

how "dor" enjoyers look when real untranslatable word enthusiasts come at them

author's notes:

"dor" is a romanian word very often touted as one of those "untranslatable words." this annoys me because people will often swoon over it and think woooow how beautiful.. but every time I come up with it used in an actual sentence, it's extremely easy to translate. guys. it's yearning for/missing someone or something. "missing" is the more common connotation. maybe the 'untranslatable' part comes from it being a noun, missing as a noun is less common in english. fair enough, but then in english there is "yearning." AND "LONGING" HOW COULD I FORGET "LONGING."

I mostly believe the untranslatable word industrial complex was invented to sell more coffee table books to millennials. there is something beautiful about the notion of a word so specific that it can't be translated without sacrificing much of its nuance while also conveying a beautifully universal feeling. I can't deny the beauty and value in that. however. I don't know. upon closer inspection I genuinely just feel that... these words are simply not that untranslatable innit

#I'm being a hater a little bit I genuinely don't feel that strongly about this. like I said I can see the beauty in untranslatable words #I see why people like them! I like some too! #but the dor thing that one I do feel strongly about it. every time I see someone swooning over 'dor' and how untranslatable it is #I feel an angel in heaven dying and its soul being dissolved in the universe soup #and this is for the one other language I know. so I can only imagine how other people when they see 'untranslatable words' from #their languages on those lists and being like. really? you're going crazy over That word? it literally means X or Y

[silencedrowns]

as someone who survived the kaizoku-fansubs days, I’m gonna fucking fight everyone responsible for this

how dare you bring this back

#the full body cringe I feel at the mere mention of ‘nakama’ in a one piece context #‘this word is untranslatable’ my ass #truly one piece was the peak of bad fansub culture

[andthatscanon]

dair + untranslatable words

GLAS WEN (WELSH)

#dair untranslatable words #dan x blair #dair #dan humphrey #blair waldorf #gossip girl #queue b