The last page of the Smithsonian Magazine this month has an article that tickled me. It's called Global Wording - If you can't say it in English, just borrow le mot juste, by Adam Jacot de Boinod.
The article points out that while the English language has borrowed quite a few words from other languages examples: ad hoc, feng shui, croissant, kindergarten, rodeo, we've missed some really descriptive and useful words. The author has an obsession with finding these words ever since he discovered that Albanians have 27 words for eyebrows and the same number for mustaches.
Some examples of surprising words or words that might be useful to incorporate into English are:
nakhur (Persian)- a camel that won't give milk until her nostrils are tickled.
areadjarekput (Inuit)- to exchange wives for a few days only.
tingo (Pascuense) to borrow things from a friend's house, one by one, until there's nothing left.
awawa (Hawaiian)- the gap between each finger or toe.
waal (Afrikaans)- the area behind the knee.
alang (Nicaragua)- the fold of skin under the chin.
karelu (Tulu)- the mark left on the skin by wearing anything tight.
kummerspeck (German)- the excess weight one gains from emotion-related overeating (translates literally as "grief bacon")
gras bilong fes (Tok Pisin)- means "grass belonging to the face" ie. a beard.
Backpfeifengesicht (German)- {this is one of my favorites lol} a face that cries out for a fist in it.
murrma (Wagiman)- to walk along in the water searching for something with your feet.
uitwaaien (Dutch)- to walk in windy weather for fun.
achaplinarse (Central American Spanish) - to hesitate and then run away in the manner of Charlie Chaplin.
kusat sebe lokti (Russian)- literally it means "to bite one's elbows" similart to the phrase crying over spilled milk.
harawata o tatsu (Japanese)- breaking your heart literally "to sever ones intestines"
pulir hebillas (Central American Spanish)- dance closely literally "to polish belt buckles"
mamihlapinatapei(Fuegian)- that shared look of longing where both parties know the score yet neither is willing to make the first move.
biodegradabile(Italian)- one who falls in love easily and often.
mahj (Persian)- looking beautiful after disease.
nedovtipa (Czech)- someone who finds it difficult to take a hint.
hakamaru (Pascuense) - to keep borrowed objects until the owner has to ask for them back.
I've always been frustrated by words because it seems to me that there are never quite enough. I think incorporating more words into English is a great idea! haha. I particularly liked the Pascuense words. Pascuense is spoken on Easter Island. It tickles me to think of a relatively small culture coming up with and using the words tingo and hakamaru. The author stated that on Easter Island it may take two to tingo, but it takes only one to hakamaru... Words of wisdom if I've ever heard any. haha.
