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Interesting Words In Foreign Languages

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An average human being does not know more than three languages. So here is a list of words in different languages that you might not know.

The 1911 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica says that the total number of languages around the word is approximately thousand. Some words are best understood in their parent language and cannot be translated into another language. The translation might come close to the essence of the word but does not fully encapsulate it. The beauty of that word cannot be described in any other language. So here is a list of words that will not only enrich your vocabulary but will also help you understand the true beauty of different languages around the world.

1) Hiraeth
Hiraeth is a Welsh word that is difficult to describe in English. It can be roughly translated to homesickness and a sense of yearning for a home that you cannot return to, no longer exists or never existed at all.

2) Mamihlapinatapei
Mamihlapinatapei is derived from the Yaghan Language of Tierra Del Fuego. It can be roughly translated to a look shared by two people; each wishing that the other would initiate something that they both desire but which neither wants to begin.

3) Iktsuarpok
Iktsuarpok is an Inuit word. It can be loosely translated into English as the feeling of anticipation while waiting for someone to arrive, often leading to intermittently going outside to check for them.

4) Mencolek
Mencolek in Indonesian is a really interesting word. We have often tapped our friend’s shoulder from behind and tricked them into thinking that it was someone else. The Indonesian language describes this entire act in just one word.

5) Lagom
Lagom is a Swedish word. The Lexin Swedish-English dictionary describes it as “enough, sufficient, adequate, just right”.

6) Boketto
Boketto is a Japanese word. Have you ever had an experience where you look at a distance and do not think of anything at all? It happens to a lot of us. The Japanese have a word for this experience.

7) Packesel
Packesel is a German word to describe someone who is stuck carrying everyone else’s bag in a trip. If you are the youngest person in your household like me, you might have experienced this certainly.

8) Saudade
Saudade is a Portuguese word which roughly translates a melancholic state where you long for an absent something or someone you love. Usually, there is a hidden understanding in this word of the fact that the object of longing might not return.

Hopefully,these words come to your rescue the next time when you experience certain emotions which you cannot express in English.

 

Feature Image Credits: Pinterest

Anukriti Mishra
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A voracious reader of Mythology, embedded in a passionate Economics student who is also fanatically involved in Hindustani Classical Music. Tattoos and baking cakes are her muse. Ever reach out to talk at [email protected]

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