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In Other Words

a Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World
Mar 20, 2014KCLSRecommends rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Amazing how many words there are in other languages with no good equivalent in English! Such as the French who say "horripiler" which means 'to make your hair stand on end'! Or the Germans who say "weltschmerz" to indicate 'world-weariness' or despair with, well, everything. Meanwhile, the Dutch say "uitwaaien" for that rare joy of 'walking in the wind for fun.' And, continuing in perambulatory fashion, the Finnish have the word "hankikanto" for the 'frozen crust on the surface of snow that is strong enough to walk on.' And the Japanese have the nearly untranslatable "mon-no-aware" meaning 'enjoying the sadness of life': that bittersweet, vaguely poetic feeling you get around dusk, say, on a long train journey, looking out at the driving rain... (ah me, alas!) While the Greeks say "meraki" to describe when someone does something with soul, creativity or love -- when you put 'something of yourself' into what you're doing.