Expanding My Vocabulary

I love the idea of concepts that other languages posses words for, which my native language does not. The kinds of things you can express in a language tells you something about the way native speakers of that language see the world–this can reveal concepts to you that you previously literally could not think about (or at least not think about easily), or it can be really amusing in illuminating a humourous difference between world-views.

We (English-speakers) often co-opt terms, making them into new English when we’re missing a concept. Vis. camaraderie, esprit de corps, hoi polli, etc. I think it was Emma Bull who said “English doesn’t borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them down, and goes through their pockets looking for loose grammar.” Heh.

Still, there are lots more concepts out there that we can steal the words for. Other languages still have lots of richness we haven’t grabbed yet.

For example, let’s look at the Hawaiian language. It actually has the word PANA PO’O, which means “to scratch your head in order to help you to remember something you’ve forgotten”. I’ve known people who do that, but the idea of that action as a culturally ingrained (and thus nearly invisible) common action seems pretty funny. No world shattering difference in views, but it does paint some funny pictures.

Of course that’s nothing compared to AKA’AKA’A which is the Hawaiian word for “skin peeling or falling off after either sunburn or heavy drinking”. On the one hand, as a painfully fair-skinned individual it’s comforting that even Hawaiians can get a sunburn, but on the other hand I find the idea of skin peeling off from heavy drinking a little unsettling. If it’s a common enough occurence that there’s a word for it, then that definitely tells you something about a culture.

Of course, the words can sometimes illustrate a nice alignment in worldviews. The Japanese, for example, have the word BAKKU-SHAN for “a girl who looks as though she might be pretty when seen from behind, but isn’t when seen from the front”, which is pretty much the same concept that is conveyed among my university pals by the term “Ditty‘s Third Law”. And I don’t really know any examples, but based on some conversations I’ve overheard among my female friends, apparently there are lots of people in North America who could make use of the Snaskrit term NARACHASTRA PRAYOGA, which means “men who worship their own sexual organs”.

And, hey, what blogger couldn’t find a use for the word FUCHA, the Portuguese word for “using company time and resources for one’s own purposes”?

All of these terms come from a feature in the Independent on the forthcoming book, The Meaning Of Tingo, which I will certainly be picking up. I just love this stuff.