May 2013
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January 2013
39 posts
Ten Words That Aren't Translatable Into English
eMamihlapinatapei: (Yagan, an indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego) The wordless yet meaningful look shared by two people who desire to initiate something, but are both reluctant to start.
Yuanfen: (Chinese) A relationship by fate or destiny. This is a complex concept. It draws on principles of predetermination in Chinese culture, which dictate relationships, encounters and affinities, mostly among lovers and friends.
Cafuné: (Brazilian Portuguese) The act of tenderly running your fingers through someone's hair.
Retrouvailles: (French) The happiness of meeting again after a long time.
Ilunga: (Bantu) A person who is willing to forgive abuse the first time; tolerate it the second time, but never a third time.
La Douleur Exquise: (French) The heart-wrenching pain of wanting someone you can’t have.
Koi No Yokan: (Japanese) The sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall into love.
Ya’aburnee: (Arabic) “You bury me.” It’s a declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person, because of how difficult it would be to live without them.
Forelsket: (Norwegian) The euphoria you experience when you’re first falling in love.
Saudade (Portuguese): The feeling of longing for someone that you love and is lost. Another linguist describes it as a "vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist."
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December 2012
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