“Mamihlapinatapai” is a Yaghan word from Tierra del Fuego, meaning “a look shared by two people, each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start.” It’s a complex concept that doesn’t have an equivalent in English, and the word has become well-known as an example of the richness and complexity of indigenous languages around the world.
Honorifics, known as “keigo,” are utilized in Japanese language to express respect and indicate a person’s social status or relationship to the speaker. There are three types of honorifics:
“Sonkeigo,” is used to express respect towards individuals who hold a higher status than the speaker, such as their boss, elders, or customers. This form is never used to refer to oneself, only when discussing someone else.
“Teineigo” is the most commonly used polite form in Japanese, and it is typically the first form that students learn in Japanese language classes. This form is utilized when the speaker is not familiar with the person they are speaking to or wishes to maintain a certain level of formality and distance in the conversation.
“Kenjougo” is utilized to express humility. It is employed when the speaker is referring to themselves in the presence of someone of higher social status or authority, with the intention of lowering their own status and showing respect towards the addressee.
Using appropriate honorifics and polite language is an important part of communication in Japanese culture to show respect, build relationships, and avoid causing offense or embarrassment.
A fascinating fact is that there is a single word, “mama,” which is spoken almost identically in nearly every language across the world.
This universal term was studied in-depth by the Russian linguist Roman Jakobson, who discovered that humans find it easiest to produce vowel sounds with open mouths. Even newborn babies can make vowel sounds, and as they begin to experiment with other noises, they often start with the simpler consonant sounds made with closed lips, such as /m/, /p/, and /b/. Babies will often combine these sounds with an open vowel sound, resulting in repetitions of “ma-ma,” “ba-ba,” “pa-pa,” and so on.
In the Irish language, the terms ‘Lios’, ‘rath’, and ‘ringfort’ are commonly used to refer to fairy forts. These are circular or embankment structures typically found in fields or on marshy land.
According to folklore, it is believed that interfering with these fairy forts could lead to serious consequences, so many people still avoid them. Even today, some people in the Irish countryside use these terms to refer to such places and fields, demonstrating the lasting impact of this folklore on Irish culture.
There is an Italian word ‘Culaccino’ that describes the water ring left on a table by a cold glass. It derives from culaccio + -ino, derived from culo (“bottom”), the same versatile word can also mean the remaining bit of water in the glass itself, or the end of a salami or loaf of bread.
In light of the recent St. Patrick’s day celebrations, it is interesting to reflect on how rich and descriptive the Irish language is. One example of this is the variety of words there are for a bat.
A bat can be called an ‘ialtóg’, ‘bás dorcha’ (“dark death”) and sciathán leathair (“leather wing”).
There is an Italian word “trepidazione” which does not quite mean “trepidation” but is a mix of positive expectation and nervousness, like just before one’s own birthday party, or before a first date. Can you think of an equivalent in English or in your language?
The Spanish word “Arrebolar” literally translates ‘to turn red or crimson’. It is often used to describe when a part of a landscape turns red by the effect of sun rays. You might say the dawn is “arrebolado”.
Duende is a Spanish word that means “soul”, and thus can be used to refer to spirits or ghosts – but just like the English word “spirit” it also means emotional / mental energy, and it’s used in Spain when referring to Flamenco dancers. Flamenco is a form of dance in which “soul” is perhaps more important than sheer technique, a bit like in soul music!
There is a Swedish word “Lagom” which refers to when something is just the right amount.
It is attested to come from the plural dative form of lag (“law”), so literally “with the laws”. Folk etymology claims that it derives from a phrase used in Viking times: “laget om”, which means ‘to the whole team’. It’s allegedly used to describe how much mead or soup one should drink when passing the bowl around a group, to make sure that everyone received a sufficient portion. It speaks to the idea of equity and balance.