What do you think?
Rate this book
In Other Words: A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World
Take a trip around the world in words and unlock the meaning of some of the most insightful, intriguing, and satisfying expressions on the planet, for which there are no English equivalents.
In Russia, 'razbliuto' describes the pain of lost love: in Spain, a passionate spirit is embodied in 'duende', and in Norway, the value of knowledge is expressed in 'kunnskaping'. There is no more unique description of the virtue of patience than the Urdu word proverb that translates as "Let us see which way the camel sits."
Christopher Moore defines these so-called "untranslatables," opening a window into the culture of each language, explaining words and phrases that in literal terms may boggle the mind. 'Yoko meshi', Japanese for the particular stress of speaking another language, literrally means "horizontal boiled rice." But when you understand worlds like a native, you'll quickly grasp why, for example, in Danish 'hygge' is much more than just a hug.
"In Other Words" is arranged by country or region of origin and spans the globe, offering words from Finnish and Portuguese to Chinese and Arabic. Each section begins with an englightening introuction that leads into the fascinating stories behind the words and people who speak them, and phonetic guides make clear how to pronounce each word.
Language lovers, culture buffs, and travelers will delight in discovering these wise and wordly words. They will enliven your mind while enriching your daily conversation.
In Russia, 'razbliuto' describes the pain of lost love: in Spain, a passionate spirit is embodied in 'duende', and in Norway, the value of knowledge is expressed in 'kunnskaping'. There is no more unique description of the virtue of patience than the Urdu word proverb that translates as "Let us see which way the camel sits."
Christopher Moore defines these so-called "untranslatables," opening a window into the culture of each language, explaining words and phrases that in literal terms may boggle the mind. 'Yoko meshi', Japanese for the particular stress of speaking another language, literrally means "horizontal boiled rice." But when you understand worlds like a native, you'll quickly grasp why, for example, in Danish 'hygge' is much more than just a hug.
"In Other Words" is arranged by country or region of origin and spans the globe, offering words from Finnish and Portuguese to Chinese and Arabic. Each section begins with an englightening introuction that leads into the fascinating stories behind the words and people who speak them, and phonetic guides make clear how to pronounce each word.
Language lovers, culture buffs, and travelers will delight in discovering these wise and wordly words. They will enliven your mind while enriching your daily conversation.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
19 people are currently reading
990 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 15, 2018
This is one of those little books of curiosities. A lingual wunderkammer, an armchair traveler's delight. Short and easy breezy fun to pick through, and a perfect selection for times of constant interruption. Arranged geographically for the most part except for a section that just pulls out ancient languages. I think the advantage in this is brevity that avoids making it seem like reading a dictionary--which I totally did as a child.
Basque akelarre, 'the meadow of the male goat' or a nighttime gathering of a coven of witches.
German, way too many to choose from with their ingenious compound words, but drachenfutter, offering of errant husbands, literally dragon fodder.
Czech litost, "a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one's own misery".
Swedish bejaka, seems a more difficult one to grasp, but it seems to be along the lines of an optimism, acceptance of life and its vicissitudes.
Norwegian nidstang, a runic cursing pole used for vengeance. Hmmm... yes, like voodoo dolls, but instead of weaving the cursing in a totem you get to carve it deep. This is appealing, unfortunately, I live in less arboreal clime. Seems to be a variation of disturbing the earth spirits, like Icelandic's alfreka.
Tshiluba (Rep. of Congo) ilunga, "describes a person who will forgive any transgression a first time and then tolerate it for a second, but never for a third time".
Chinese gagung, "bare sticks" or "bare branches" are males who won't marry because of the one-child policy and gender imbalance result.
Japanes yokomeshi, "meal eaten sideways" or the stress of speaking foreign Western language with its horizontal layout.
Gaelic sian, haunting music heard from fairy hills, soft, sorrowful and enchanting.
Tierra Del Fuego mamihlapinatapei, shared look in a private unspoken moment, romantic, funny, or understanding.
Rating this seems odd. I liked the layout, it worked well. Some languages there were few words that I wasn't familiar with; Moore selected terms that have been incorporated into English and so those entries seemed weak by comparison.
Basque akelarre, 'the meadow of the male goat' or a nighttime gathering of a coven of witches.
German, way too many to choose from with their ingenious compound words, but drachenfutter, offering of errant husbands, literally dragon fodder.
Czech litost, "a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one's own misery".
Swedish bejaka, seems a more difficult one to grasp, but it seems to be along the lines of an optimism, acceptance of life and its vicissitudes.
Norwegian nidstang, a runic cursing pole used for vengeance. Hmmm... yes, like voodoo dolls, but instead of weaving the cursing in a totem you get to carve it deep. This is appealing, unfortunately, I live in less arboreal clime. Seems to be a variation of disturbing the earth spirits, like Icelandic's alfreka.
Tshiluba (Rep. of Congo) ilunga, "describes a person who will forgive any transgression a first time and then tolerate it for a second, but never for a third time".
Chinese gagung, "bare sticks" or "bare branches" are males who won't marry because of the one-child policy and gender imbalance result.
Japanes yokomeshi, "meal eaten sideways" or the stress of speaking foreign Western language with its horizontal layout.
Gaelic sian, haunting music heard from fairy hills, soft, sorrowful and enchanting.
Tierra Del Fuego mamihlapinatapei, shared look in a private unspoken moment, romantic, funny, or understanding.
Rating this seems odd. I liked the layout, it worked well. Some languages there were few words that I wasn't familiar with; Moore selected terms that have been incorporated into English and so those entries seemed weak by comparison.
April 25, 2010
I've been a word geek for as long as I can remember. Big words, little words, in or out of context - they fascinate and delight me. Those lists of weirdly specific phobias , bizarre methods of divining the future , beastly adjectives , crash blossoms -- they keep me entertained for days. In line at the post office, I make up words in my head, or concoct fake but amusing typos. I construct weird little ditties which then stick in my head like the hook of a power ballad by REO Speedwagon.
To someone with a word addiction, the internet presents a constant, boundless, temptation. All those time sinks, the verbal equivalent of YouTube for logophiles, we have them all bookmarked. What's that you say, somewhere there's a list of all the words that David Foster Wallace had circled in his dictionary? How could a person not go visit? Before you know it, another hour wasted, hungry cats circling, and the dishes still not done.
But my interest in words and language is strictly that of an amateur. That’s why you won't find me writing books on the topic. I have your typical INTJ's respect for technical competence, which is to say that I expect someone who writes a book about a given subject to know something about it. This is obviously a very regressive view, in an age where everyone's an expert on everything, courtesy of Wikipedia. But you know, people with an amateur interest in physics, or astronomy, or some other "hard" science generally have enough awareness of their own limitations to stop them from writing books on quantum physics or string theory. Amateur wordlovers and armchair linguists, on the other hand, apparently feel no such inhibition. After all, they've been using words their entire life, so why shouldn't they write a book?
Two particular topics seem to hold a fatal attraction for armchair wordlovers. The first I’ll call “folk etymology”. Since uninformed speculation about the origins of common words and phrases is free and easy, almost anyone can come up with a rambling script that (choose one):
1. purports to establish that virtually every English slang term in current use is derived from a Gaelic/Sanskrit/Klingon root (take your pick)
2. perpetuates the usual grab bag of linguistic urban legends that pollute the internet
3. adds another two cents to the mountain of rampant speculation about the origins of a handful of expressions that might reasonably be termed “the usual suspects”.
It is mandatory for books in the third category to include at least four pages of tedious speculation about the origins of the term "OK", just as it is customary to pad those in the second category with demonstrably false (mis)information presented as fact (rule of thumb is related to wife-beating, posh is an acronym for "port out, starboard home" on ships to India, news is an acronym signifying “North-East-West-South, saved by the bell originated with precautions taken by people who feared being buried alive, and other popular linguistic urban legends). The canonical example in the first category is the appalling, shameful, How the Irish Invented Slang, a monument to a certain kind of sloppy “scholarship” so wilfully anti-intellectual it flirts with mental retardation. The basic fallacy is an inability (or unwillingness) to distinguish between random similarities in spelling and a genuine etymological connection, leading to such obviously bogus claims as the statement that “jazz” and “bunkum” have Gaelic roots. A (relatively restrained) debunking may be found at this link.
The second lexicological McGuffin is the slippery concept of “words in other languages that have no exact equivalent in English”, often referred to as being “untranslatable”. This is like catnip to word-fanciers; in addition to Christopher Moore’s book, there are several others out there with the same basic premise. Howard Rheingold’s They Have a Word for It dates back to 1988; in 2005, an English author called Adam Jacot de Boinod came out with “The meaning of Tingo” in similar vein, and subsequently followed it with a sequel, “The Wonder of Whiffling”. Books in this general category all follow the same approximate formula – lists of putatively untranslatable words in various languages, interspersed with comments by the author of varying length and insight. They all face the same fundamental challenge, not always successfully – since the author cannot possibly master every language for which an example is quoted, he cannot guarantee accuracy of content based on personal knowledge and is forced to rely on external sources.
It doesn’t always work out as well as you might hope. “The Meaning of Tingo”, for example, is generally recognized to be riddled with inaccuracies; a distressingly high proportion of entries have no discernible basis in fact and are, at best, amusing flights of fancy. This inconvenient truth is not acknowledged explicitly by the author, but becomes clear if one reads the comments at the author’s website, or reviews of the book at Amazon. There are a few warning signs, however – an uncritical embracing of the linguistic urban legend involving the number of Eskimo words for snow, inclusion of the Russian (non)-word for falling out of love, “razliubit”, as well as a generally unquestioning tone of acceptance that borders on the naive.
I regret to report that Christopher Moore’s contribution to this particular sub-genre is also notable for its general air of credulity. His scholarly approach appears to have been little more than to find and ask one native speaker for each of a variety of languages. The results are amusing, but don’t inspire much confidence. There is a suspiciously high number of words of alleged Scandinavian and Teutonic origin which purport to describe the unique sense of “coziness at home” felt by inhabitants of the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway – it makes a person wonder if there isn’t some kind of concerted conspiracy by inhabitants of these countries to present a more positive view of life in winter than can realistically thought plausible. “Razliubit” also makes an appearance, with no indication that its status as genuine is mired in controversy. And, in the one area where I have some personal ability to make a judgment, I estimated that about half the words of “celtic” origin included were problematic in some way. But then the introductory sentence to that chapter gives a clear indication of where the problems are likely to lie, not just for the chapter, but for the entire book:
“Gaelic is an ancient Celtic tongue with an oral tradition that spans almost two thousand years and reflects a crofting lifestyle that remained virtually unchanged in all that time.”
The magical, mystical celtic twilight strikes again! With this sentence Moore unwittingly points out the flaw that undermines his own endeavor – ultimately the kind of “untranslatable word” that is likely to make it into his book is that which confirms whatever preexisting romantic notion he has about the language and people concerned, accuracy be damned.
But then I realize that this is the unavoidable flaw in every book in this category. If it bothers you, steer clear. If not, be my guest – you may find these books funny and diverting. Just please ingest with a few grains of salt.
To someone with a word addiction, the internet presents a constant, boundless, temptation. All those time sinks, the verbal equivalent of YouTube for logophiles, we have them all bookmarked. What's that you say, somewhere there's a list of all the words that David Foster Wallace had circled in his dictionary? How could a person not go visit? Before you know it, another hour wasted, hungry cats circling, and the dishes still not done.
But my interest in words and language is strictly that of an amateur. That’s why you won't find me writing books on the topic. I have your typical INTJ's respect for technical competence, which is to say that I expect someone who writes a book about a given subject to know something about it. This is obviously a very regressive view, in an age where everyone's an expert on everything, courtesy of Wikipedia. But you know, people with an amateur interest in physics, or astronomy, or some other "hard" science generally have enough awareness of their own limitations to stop them from writing books on quantum physics or string theory. Amateur wordlovers and armchair linguists, on the other hand, apparently feel no such inhibition. After all, they've been using words their entire life, so why shouldn't they write a book?
Two particular topics seem to hold a fatal attraction for armchair wordlovers. The first I’ll call “folk etymology”. Since uninformed speculation about the origins of common words and phrases is free and easy, almost anyone can come up with a rambling script that (choose one):
1. purports to establish that virtually every English slang term in current use is derived from a Gaelic/Sanskrit/Klingon root (take your pick)
2. perpetuates the usual grab bag of linguistic urban legends that pollute the internet
3. adds another two cents to the mountain of rampant speculation about the origins of a handful of expressions that might reasonably be termed “the usual suspects”.
It is mandatory for books in the third category to include at least four pages of tedious speculation about the origins of the term "OK", just as it is customary to pad those in the second category with demonstrably false (mis)information presented as fact (rule of thumb is related to wife-beating, posh is an acronym for "port out, starboard home" on ships to India, news is an acronym signifying “North-East-West-South, saved by the bell originated with precautions taken by people who feared being buried alive, and other popular linguistic urban legends). The canonical example in the first category is the appalling, shameful, How the Irish Invented Slang, a monument to a certain kind of sloppy “scholarship” so wilfully anti-intellectual it flirts with mental retardation. The basic fallacy is an inability (or unwillingness) to distinguish between random similarities in spelling and a genuine etymological connection, leading to such obviously bogus claims as the statement that “jazz” and “bunkum” have Gaelic roots. A (relatively restrained) debunking may be found at this link.
The second lexicological McGuffin is the slippery concept of “words in other languages that have no exact equivalent in English”, often referred to as being “untranslatable”. This is like catnip to word-fanciers; in addition to Christopher Moore’s book, there are several others out there with the same basic premise. Howard Rheingold’s They Have a Word for It dates back to 1988; in 2005, an English author called Adam Jacot de Boinod came out with “The meaning of Tingo” in similar vein, and subsequently followed it with a sequel, “The Wonder of Whiffling”. Books in this general category all follow the same approximate formula – lists of putatively untranslatable words in various languages, interspersed with comments by the author of varying length and insight. They all face the same fundamental challenge, not always successfully – since the author cannot possibly master every language for which an example is quoted, he cannot guarantee accuracy of content based on personal knowledge and is forced to rely on external sources.
It doesn’t always work out as well as you might hope. “The Meaning of Tingo”, for example, is generally recognized to be riddled with inaccuracies; a distressingly high proportion of entries have no discernible basis in fact and are, at best, amusing flights of fancy. This inconvenient truth is not acknowledged explicitly by the author, but becomes clear if one reads the comments at the author’s website, or reviews of the book at Amazon. There are a few warning signs, however – an uncritical embracing of the linguistic urban legend involving the number of Eskimo words for snow, inclusion of the Russian (non)-word for falling out of love, “razliubit”, as well as a generally unquestioning tone of acceptance that borders on the naive.
I regret to report that Christopher Moore’s contribution to this particular sub-genre is also notable for its general air of credulity. His scholarly approach appears to have been little more than to find and ask one native speaker for each of a variety of languages. The results are amusing, but don’t inspire much confidence. There is a suspiciously high number of words of alleged Scandinavian and Teutonic origin which purport to describe the unique sense of “coziness at home” felt by inhabitants of the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway – it makes a person wonder if there isn’t some kind of concerted conspiracy by inhabitants of these countries to present a more positive view of life in winter than can realistically thought plausible. “Razliubit” also makes an appearance, with no indication that its status as genuine is mired in controversy. And, in the one area where I have some personal ability to make a judgment, I estimated that about half the words of “celtic” origin included were problematic in some way. But then the introductory sentence to that chapter gives a clear indication of where the problems are likely to lie, not just for the chapter, but for the entire book:
“Gaelic is an ancient Celtic tongue with an oral tradition that spans almost two thousand years and reflects a crofting lifestyle that remained virtually unchanged in all that time.”
The magical, mystical celtic twilight strikes again! With this sentence Moore unwittingly points out the flaw that undermines his own endeavor – ultimately the kind of “untranslatable word” that is likely to make it into his book is that which confirms whatever preexisting romantic notion he has about the language and people concerned, accuracy be damned.
But then I realize that this is the unavoidable flaw in every book in this category. If it bothers you, steer clear. If not, be my guest – you may find these books funny and diverting. Just please ingest with a few grains of salt.
May 30, 2009
"What's the name of the word for the precise moment when you realize that you've actually forgotten how it felt to make love to somebody you really liked a long time ago?"
"There isn't one."
"Oh. I thought maybe there was." --The Sandman
If you've ever searched in vain for a single word to describe some ephemeral feeling or situation, perhaps you've just been looking in the wrong language. In Other Words is like a multilingual dictionary for such "untranslateables."
After reading this, I wish I had...
...bought it instead of renting it from the library.
...become a linguistics major.
...time to learn every language.
I highly recommend this unique book.
"There isn't one."
"Oh. I thought maybe there was." --The Sandman
If you've ever searched in vain for a single word to describe some ephemeral feeling or situation, perhaps you've just been looking in the wrong language. In Other Words is like a multilingual dictionary for such "untranslateables."
After reading this, I wish I had...
...bought it instead of renting it from the library.
...become a linguistics major.
...time to learn every language.
I highly recommend this unique book.
November 3, 2022
Not only do various elements of the book's framing not hold up to anyone familiar with anthropology, linguistics or postcolonial studies, it also contains several factual inaccuracies I identified and surely more I missed. Plus the book is choppily written and contains a variety of typos. Pass.
August 7, 2014
I was expecting something else, to be honest.
I was quite disappointed in it, to tell the truth. The introductory paragraphs for every Language group were quite general and not very informative and the words were described with a very vague language in my opinion (remember, not a native English speaker here).
It also started badly. I mean, in the introduction the author states that Spanish and Italian have the same word for "sleep" and "dream". Which is true for Spanish, the word being "sueño"; but it's not true for Italian, we do have "sonno" and "sogno". And then, you know, German nouns have always capital letters. It's not just fashion, it's grammar. Still none of the German words in this book is capitalized. And if you look at the list of contributors at the beginning: none of the Slavic names are written with the proper diacritic sign. Nor the words in the proper book.
Sigh. At least I got a second hand copy. A former book from the Miller Memorial Library in Hamden, CT. It's funny thinking that the poor book has traveled all the way from CT to a small town in Italy.
I was quite disappointed in it, to tell the truth. The introductory paragraphs for every Language group were quite general and not very informative and the words were described with a very vague language in my opinion (remember, not a native English speaker here).
It also started badly. I mean, in the introduction the author states that Spanish and Italian have the same word for "sleep" and "dream". Which is true for Spanish, the word being "sueño"; but it's not true for Italian, we do have "sonno" and "sogno". And then, you know, German nouns have always capital letters. It's not just fashion, it's grammar. Still none of the German words in this book is capitalized. And if you look at the list of contributors at the beginning: none of the Slavic names are written with the proper diacritic sign. Nor the words in the proper book.
Sigh. At least I got a second hand copy. A former book from the Miller Memorial Library in Hamden, CT. It's funny thinking that the poor book has traveled all the way from CT to a small town in Italy.
January 10, 2020
Christopher J. Moore closely studies all the languages of the world to find the most fascinating words and expressions and shares them with us in this book. Moore finds words in French, German, Italian, and other Western European languages; Czech, Russian, and other Eastern European languages; Yiddish; Nordic languages including Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic; the Middle Eastern languages of Arabic, Turkish, and Persian; African languages; Asian languages; ancient and classical languages; indigenous languages; and Creole and Pidgen languages. This is the kind of book that we who love words could read for a year.
June 12, 2023
Ymmärrän, että kirjassa puhutaan sanojen kääntämisen vaikeudesta. Siitä huolimatta olisin toivonut vähemmän töksähtelevää käännöstä. Teksti on jotenkin erittäin sekavaa ja moni perussana (esim. hindiuskonto hinduismin sijaan) on käännetty huonosti. Lisäksi alkuperäinen kirjailija on mielestäni jaaritellut aivan liikaa ja jakanut kielet mantereittain erittäin tyhmästi. Olisin halunnut nauttia itse sanojen ja sanontojen merkityksestä, mutta huomasin, että jopa monen sanan selitys oli huono. Kaiken kaikkiian kesän alkuun erittäin ärsyttävä lukukokemus.
February 17, 2014
This was a cute anecdote of a book and I enjoyed every minute I spent with it. I'm not sure how much I will retain but this would be the perfect book to bring along/peruse if you know that you're going to be in company with someone you have next-to-nothing in common with and you'll be in need of something to discuss. We all have language in common- after all- and it's a step up from the weather. 7/10
March 15, 2008
A truly fun little book for those who love words and languages. This book is semi-serious, but not really of academic merit - it's just fun.
January 28, 2019
The subtitle calls this “a language lover’s guide to the most useful and intriguing words from around the world” but the author seemed to think he was compiling only untranslatable words, which led to him calling words that are in common every day usage in English “”untranslatables”” — but if a word is in common usage with its original context and meaning preserved and we understand what it means without explanation, then it’s not untranslatable. Like the Icelandic word “saga.” It means exactly the same thing in Icelandic as it means in English, concept and connotations included.
And take the word “billabong.” Definitely not untranslatable. Its counterpart term is “Ox-bow lake”. Maybe I’m extra annoyed about that one because I am Australian but COME ON. That’s literally a direct translation. Just because it’s from a language not natively spoken by white people doesn’t mean it’s a weird word that a European couldn’t possibly understand. And, while I’m here, the song Waltzing Matilda is not “brimming with untranslatables,” it’s brimming with colloquialisms, which could be explained to you by approximately any Australian you meet. Pull your head out of your arse.
Also he got the lyrics wrong. It’s not
“Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabong” (you’re going to camp IN the water? Yeah sure you are mate)
it’s
“Once a jolly swagman camped BY the billabong”
“Under the shade of a Coolibah tree” is right at least, but it isn’t
“And he sang as he looked at the old billy boiling/
who’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me”
it’s
“And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled/
“You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me.””
A billy is a simple tin vessel made to boil water over a fire, if you’re wondering.
I learned things from this book and it was sometimes interesting despite the writing being kind of dry, but the disparity between what the author thought he was writing and what the book said he was writing just annoyed me.
Obviously truly untranslatable words can’t be translated even in a broad abstract way so none of these were going to be truly untranslatable, I understand that. And in some cases the entries were presented as interesting words that we may or may not have known, but ultimately I feel that the author tried too hard when it came to claiming some words as untranslatable when in many cases, they can be, and are, or have been directly transferred from their original language into English and so might as well just be English.
In the words of Inigo Montoya: you keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.
It’s a good collection of languages and it was a definite plus that Indigenous Languages and Creole and Pidgin Languages were included and had their own sections. However, it would have been nice if any effort had been made to note when and where colonisation negatively affected these languages, and in some places it was abundantly clear that the author’s viewpoint was Very White.
It was okay. Worth a shot if you’re interested, but I don’t think I’ll reread it, or hold on to it.
And take the word “billabong.” Definitely not untranslatable. Its counterpart term is “Ox-bow lake”. Maybe I’m extra annoyed about that one because I am Australian but COME ON. That’s literally a direct translation. Just because it’s from a language not natively spoken by white people doesn’t mean it’s a weird word that a European couldn’t possibly understand. And, while I’m here, the song Waltzing Matilda is not “brimming with untranslatables,” it’s brimming with colloquialisms, which could be explained to you by approximately any Australian you meet. Pull your head out of your arse.
Also he got the lyrics wrong. It’s not
“Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabong” (you’re going to camp IN the water? Yeah sure you are mate)
it’s
“Once a jolly swagman camped BY the billabong”
“Under the shade of a Coolibah tree” is right at least, but it isn’t
“And he sang as he looked at the old billy boiling/
who’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me”
it’s
“And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled/
“You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me.””
A billy is a simple tin vessel made to boil water over a fire, if you’re wondering.
I learned things from this book and it was sometimes interesting despite the writing being kind of dry, but the disparity between what the author thought he was writing and what the book said he was writing just annoyed me.
Obviously truly untranslatable words can’t be translated even in a broad abstract way so none of these were going to be truly untranslatable, I understand that. And in some cases the entries were presented as interesting words that we may or may not have known, but ultimately I feel that the author tried too hard when it came to claiming some words as untranslatable when in many cases, they can be, and are, or have been directly transferred from their original language into English and so might as well just be English.
In the words of Inigo Montoya: you keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.
It’s a good collection of languages and it was a definite plus that Indigenous Languages and Creole and Pidgin Languages were included and had their own sections. However, it would have been nice if any effort had been made to note when and where colonisation negatively affected these languages, and in some places it was abundantly clear that the author’s viewpoint was Very White.
It was okay. Worth a shot if you’re interested, but I don’t think I’ll reread it, or hold on to it.
October 31, 2023
This book gets high marks for me as interesting. I love learning about untranslatable concepts in other languages about as much as I do learning where words and expressions come from. They were always my favorite as a language teacher to tell students. This book was right up my alley. I will say it’s a bit dry, but seems perfectly suited as bathroom reading material. That’s right. I said it. Back in the day there weren’t phones to take in there. I liked the book, it read as more of a coffee table, read-in-the-john sort of book, and if you like languages, I recommend.
October 6, 2020
One to flavor your dinner party conversation with words from other languages, perhaps untranslatable, though Moore does his best. I was disappointed at the tiny sampling of "African Languages," while European countries got pages and pages of their own selections. The illustrations are just not my style, and rather decreased my enjoyment of this otherwise attractive book. Still, a fun jaunt into words that I don't regret.
October 2, 2021
Delightful! Meant to be dipped into here and there rather than read straight through, but enjoyable either way. If you enjoy linguistic idiosyncrasies, this is your cup of tea. A few of the pronunciations or definitions of the Icelandic words were slightly off which did make me wonder about the accuracy of the pronuncations/definitions in the other languages, but the discrepancies were minor. This isn't meant to be a scholarly textbook, just a fun gallimaufry of language oddities.
August 28, 2024
Book #12 of 24 in '24
What can I say about a book of words about words from around the world except that it's been sitting on my bookshelf untouched for 15 years or so and I'm halfway through a project of reading and releasing books like that. I thought I'd zip through its 128 pages in a week but no, it took me a month. It's a bit like reading the dictionary but with lots of foreign words and weird illustrations.
What can I say about a book of words about words from around the world except that it's been sitting on my bookshelf untouched for 15 years or so and I'm halfway through a project of reading and releasing books like that. I thought I'd zip through its 128 pages in a week but no, it took me a month. It's a bit like reading the dictionary but with lots of foreign words and weird illustrations.
October 18, 2020
I've read books before that use the gimmick "here's some silly words in other languages." This book is not a gimmick, it is a celebration of the way languages are different, some of the words that capture those cultural nuances, and the origins of those words. This is a great, short read for anyone interested in languages or linguistics.
January 31, 2021
A small sampling of intriguing words from a number of languages. Not deep, not wide, but a fun book for casual investigation of meaning and culture.
February 28, 2021
A slim, interesting book about the origin/meaning of foreign words and phrases. I was familiar with about a third of them. Pleasant diversion.
January 9, 2024
it was so cutesy i loved it
December 27, 2009
n Other Words: A Language Lover’s Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World
Christopher J. Moore
Includes many words you may never have heard before, their meanings, and etymology. Not necessarily something you want to sit down and read straight through, but delightful for word-o-philes bent on discovering novel lingual nuances of our language (and others!).
Some that I liked:
German:
Drachenfutter [drach-ern-foot-er:]
(noun)
Meaning “dragon fodder,” this is the offering German husbands make to their wives – breathing raging fire at the cave entrance – when they’ve stayed out late or they have otherwise engaged in some kind of inappropriate behavior. A nice box of chocolates, or some flowers, perhaps to mask the beer fumes. (p. 27)
Korinthenkacker [kaw-rint-ern-kak-er:]
(noun)
A “raisin pooper” – that is, someone so taken up with life’s trivial detail that they spend all day crapping raisins. You can spot these types a mile off – it’s that irritating pen pusher or filing fanatic whose favorite job is tidying up the stationery cupboard. (p. 27)
Nesthocker [nest-hok-er:]
(noun)
This word was originally a biological sciences word used when observing the behavior of birds leaving the nest to fly. Most recently, it has come to refer to a person who stays at home, rather than moving out and finding their own feet – the thirty-eight-year-old who is still living at home with Mom and Dad. (p. 29)
Weltschmerz [velt-shmairts:]
(noun)
This is a compound word consisting of Welt, meaning “world,” and Schmerz, meaning “pain.” Just as your head can hurt (Kopfschmerzen), or you can suffer from a stomachache, (Magenschmerzen), so the world can hurt too. In its mildest form, this is “world-weariness.” At the other extreme, it’s an existential pain that leaves you reeling with a damaging, head-clutching despair. (p. 29)
Portuguese:
Saudade [sa-oo-dah-der:]
(noun)
A kind of intense nostalgia that only Portuguese people are supposed to understand. In Katherine Vaz’s definition, which she uses to explain the title of her novel Saudade (1994), it is a “yearning so intense for those who are missing, or for vanished times or places, that absence is the most profound presence in one’s life. A state of being, rather than merely a sentiment.” In his 1912 book on Portugal, literary specialist and translator AFG Bell writes: “The famous saudade of the Portuguese is a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, for something other than the present, a turning towards the past or towards the future; not an active discontent or poignant sadness but an indolent dreaming wistfulness.” (pp. 38 – 39)
Norwegian:
Nidstang [nid-stang:]
(noun)
A runic cursing pole used by the Vikings as a way of bringing destruction and disturbance to their enemies. These long poles were carved with insults and curses and ceremonies were performed to activate their destructive magic. The pole was intended to disrupt and anger the landvaettir, or “earth spirits,” living in the ground beneath the enemy’s house. Believe it or not, there are those even today who continue this tradition. (p. 60)
Japanese:
Aware [a-wa-reh:]
(noun)
An awareness and appreciation of the ephemeral beauty of the world. The seasons change, the cherry blossom gently falls, the crops are planted, grow, and die. Aware is that poignant sensation one has of time passing, of the inevitable cycle of life and death. From the noun comes the idiom mono-no-aware. Roughly translated as “enjoying the sadness of life,” it’s that bittersweet, vaguely poetic feeling you get around dusk, on a long train journey, looking out at the driving rain…a few autumn leaves clinging to your coat.
(p. 87)
Korean:
Nunchi [noon-chee:]
(noun)
This word is bound up in the social niceties and customs of interaction that are second nature to the people of Asia. Nunchi refers to a sort of “sixth sense,” an intrinsic understanding of the person with whom you are interacting, and is essential for evaluating another person’s hidden feelings and staying one step ahead of offending them. (p. 92)
Irish:
Sian [shee-ern:]
(noun)
An Irish word describing soft and sorrowful music full of enchantment, which can be heard coming from a fairy knoll. (p. 113)
What are *your* favorites?
Christopher J. Moore
Includes many words you may never have heard before, their meanings, and etymology. Not necessarily something you want to sit down and read straight through, but delightful for word-o-philes bent on discovering novel lingual nuances of our language (and others!).
Some that I liked:
German:
Drachenfutter [drach-ern-foot-er:]
(noun)
Meaning “dragon fodder,” this is the offering German husbands make to their wives – breathing raging fire at the cave entrance – when they’ve stayed out late or they have otherwise engaged in some kind of inappropriate behavior. A nice box of chocolates, or some flowers, perhaps to mask the beer fumes. (p. 27)
Korinthenkacker [kaw-rint-ern-kak-er:]
(noun)
A “raisin pooper” – that is, someone so taken up with life’s trivial detail that they spend all day crapping raisins. You can spot these types a mile off – it’s that irritating pen pusher or filing fanatic whose favorite job is tidying up the stationery cupboard. (p. 27)
Nesthocker [nest-hok-er:]
(noun)
This word was originally a biological sciences word used when observing the behavior of birds leaving the nest to fly. Most recently, it has come to refer to a person who stays at home, rather than moving out and finding their own feet – the thirty-eight-year-old who is still living at home with Mom and Dad. (p. 29)
Weltschmerz [velt-shmairts:]
(noun)
This is a compound word consisting of Welt, meaning “world,” and Schmerz, meaning “pain.” Just as your head can hurt (Kopfschmerzen), or you can suffer from a stomachache, (Magenschmerzen), so the world can hurt too. In its mildest form, this is “world-weariness.” At the other extreme, it’s an existential pain that leaves you reeling with a damaging, head-clutching despair. (p. 29)
Portuguese:
Saudade [sa-oo-dah-der:]
(noun)
A kind of intense nostalgia that only Portuguese people are supposed to understand. In Katherine Vaz’s definition, which she uses to explain the title of her novel Saudade (1994), it is a “yearning so intense for those who are missing, or for vanished times or places, that absence is the most profound presence in one’s life. A state of being, rather than merely a sentiment.” In his 1912 book on Portugal, literary specialist and translator AFG Bell writes: “The famous saudade of the Portuguese is a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, for something other than the present, a turning towards the past or towards the future; not an active discontent or poignant sadness but an indolent dreaming wistfulness.” (pp. 38 – 39)
Norwegian:
Nidstang [nid-stang:]
(noun)
A runic cursing pole used by the Vikings as a way of bringing destruction and disturbance to their enemies. These long poles were carved with insults and curses and ceremonies were performed to activate their destructive magic. The pole was intended to disrupt and anger the landvaettir, or “earth spirits,” living in the ground beneath the enemy’s house. Believe it or not, there are those even today who continue this tradition. (p. 60)
Japanese:
Aware [a-wa-reh:]
(noun)
An awareness and appreciation of the ephemeral beauty of the world. The seasons change, the cherry blossom gently falls, the crops are planted, grow, and die. Aware is that poignant sensation one has of time passing, of the inevitable cycle of life and death. From the noun comes the idiom mono-no-aware. Roughly translated as “enjoying the sadness of life,” it’s that bittersweet, vaguely poetic feeling you get around dusk, on a long train journey, looking out at the driving rain…a few autumn leaves clinging to your coat.
(p. 87)
Korean:
Nunchi [noon-chee:]
(noun)
This word is bound up in the social niceties and customs of interaction that are second nature to the people of Asia. Nunchi refers to a sort of “sixth sense,” an intrinsic understanding of the person with whom you are interacting, and is essential for evaluating another person’s hidden feelings and staying one step ahead of offending them. (p. 92)
Irish:
Sian [shee-ern:]
(noun)
An Irish word describing soft and sorrowful music full of enchantment, which can be heard coming from a fairy knoll. (p. 113)
What are *your* favorites?
April 20, 2011
Great book. Short quick read but definitely fascinating. I'm a fan of languages ever since hearing about language extinction and the variety of beautiful words out there.
Here is a list of my favorite words and their approximate meanings:
esprit de l'escalier - when you remember something witty to say to someone literally after you say goodbye to them
demi-monde - half world, half hidden and on the margins of society, like the world of prostitutes
schnappszahl - numbers that have certain striking patterns, like palindromes
duende - merry, festive, but energetic, eccentric, magical like a goblin, flamenco dancing or bullfighting
saudade - feeling of longing, nostalgia and melancholy in Portuguese culture
poshlost - cheap, sham, common, bad taste, spiritually/morally base, petty, worthless and mediocre
razliubit - that feeling of falling out of love
nudnik - a pestering nagging person, a bore
luftmensch - one who lives on air
allemansratt - everyone's right, a swedish law that allows people to move around freely in nature
land-nam - ownership of land through weaving mythic metaphor of plants, animals and geography, sanctifcation by mythologizing
taraadin - compromise, win-win situations
hilm il'utaat kullu firaan - the dream of cats is all about mice, having a one-track mind
bacheque - man who lives off his wites
oroko lonri li - the names of peoples affect their behaviors
guanxi - like the favors you do and build up in helping others or deplete in asking for help too often, an economy of favors i guess describes it well
tatemae - something that everybody professes to be true, even if they don't believe it privately
honne - something you believe privately but would never express openly
kokusaijin - an international person
jung - stronger than mere love, can only be proven by surviving arguments
ramai - the hustle, bustle when lots of people gather
meraki - putting something of yourself into your efforts
qualia - something that cannot be described in words, like describing the color red to a blind person
onsay - pretending to love
onguboy - love from the heart
onsra - sad love, to love for the last time
hozh'q - beauty of life as seen and created by a person, reflects connection with nature
koyaanisqatsi - out of balance
mamihlapinatapei - when two people are sharing a mutual moment of love or forgiveness or endearment
kiasu - always wanting the best for yourself, being on top of things, being a keener
Here is a list of my favorite words and their approximate meanings:
esprit de l'escalier - when you remember something witty to say to someone literally after you say goodbye to them
demi-monde - half world, half hidden and on the margins of society, like the world of prostitutes
schnappszahl - numbers that have certain striking patterns, like palindromes
duende - merry, festive, but energetic, eccentric, magical like a goblin, flamenco dancing or bullfighting
saudade - feeling of longing, nostalgia and melancholy in Portuguese culture
poshlost - cheap, sham, common, bad taste, spiritually/morally base, petty, worthless and mediocre
razliubit - that feeling of falling out of love
nudnik - a pestering nagging person, a bore
luftmensch - one who lives on air
allemansratt - everyone's right, a swedish law that allows people to move around freely in nature
land-nam - ownership of land through weaving mythic metaphor of plants, animals and geography, sanctifcation by mythologizing
taraadin - compromise, win-win situations
hilm il'utaat kullu firaan - the dream of cats is all about mice, having a one-track mind
bacheque - man who lives off his wites
oroko lonri li - the names of peoples affect their behaviors
guanxi - like the favors you do and build up in helping others or deplete in asking for help too often, an economy of favors i guess describes it well
tatemae - something that everybody professes to be true, even if they don't believe it privately
honne - something you believe privately but would never express openly
kokusaijin - an international person
jung - stronger than mere love, can only be proven by surviving arguments
ramai - the hustle, bustle when lots of people gather
meraki - putting something of yourself into your efforts
qualia - something that cannot be described in words, like describing the color red to a blind person
onsay - pretending to love
onguboy - love from the heart
onsra - sad love, to love for the last time
hozh'q - beauty of life as seen and created by a person, reflects connection with nature
koyaanisqatsi - out of balance
mamihlapinatapei - when two people are sharing a mutual moment of love or forgiveness or endearment
kiasu - always wanting the best for yourself, being on top of things, being a keener
January 21, 2008
Christopher J. Moore’s In Other Words: A Language Lover’s Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World, attempts to define words and idioms that have no precise English equivalents, but more importantly, it lends a cultural context to such words and expressions.
To cite an example, Moore refers to the confusion which arose out of Jiang Zemin’s 1997 visit to the U.S., when he claimed that the idea of democracy was rooted in 2,000-year-old Chinese philosophy. As it turns out, minzhu first appeared in a classic work to describe the dominion of one who rules to the benefit of the people, and it is this term that was used in the late nineteenth century to translate the concept of democracy. Though the two words share a central concept, the broader implications differ significantly. A benevolent ruler does not necessary have to be elected, but the process of electing representatives is a crucial element in the contemporary, Western use of the word “democracy.”
You can read NPR’s favorite entries from Moore’s book, and you can listen to an interview with the author at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
To cite an example, Moore refers to the confusion which arose out of Jiang Zemin’s 1997 visit to the U.S., when he claimed that the idea of democracy was rooted in 2,000-year-old Chinese philosophy. As it turns out, minzhu first appeared in a classic work to describe the dominion of one who rules to the benefit of the people, and it is this term that was used in the late nineteenth century to translate the concept of democracy. Though the two words share a central concept, the broader implications differ significantly. A benevolent ruler does not necessary have to be elected, but the process of electing representatives is a crucial element in the contemporary, Western use of the word “democracy.”
You can read NPR’s favorite entries from Moore’s book, and you can listen to an interview with the author at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
June 17, 2010
I love the idea of the untranslatable and what it reveals about a culture. Some ideas are universal and so even though the word may not exist in English, the idea is instantly familiar. A good example is the Russian word "razliubit," a verb used to describe losing a feeling for someone you once loved but now no longer do, like falling out of love. Likewise, there are words and phrases so unique to a culture that there is no parallel. An example they use is Yidiny, an Indigenous Australian dialect, and its myriad of words to describe noises. They have single words to express: the sound of cutting; the noise of a person clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth or the noise of an eel hitting the water; the noise of talking heard a long way off when the words cannot quite be made out; etc. It makes you wonder what part of their lives and culture required such an attention to sound.
I enjoyed this book but it struck as more of a bathroom read, especially the way it's set up: short intro to language, a couple nifty phrases explained, now on to the next language. That's not an attack. It's just a better conversation starter than an in-depth exploration.
I enjoyed this book but it struck as more of a bathroom read, especially the way it's set up: short intro to language, a couple nifty phrases explained, now on to the next language. That's not an attack. It's just a better conversation starter than an in-depth exploration.
March 31, 2016
lots of interesting words and phrases, organized by country of origin, or sometimes continent, with an explanation of each and an approximate pronunciation.
It's always interesting to read about concepts that English doesn't have. Sometimes it's something that simply doesn't apply in our culture, sometimes it's something we need help to recognize.
This is not a book to read cover to cover at one sitting, although it's not very long, only 123 pages. You have to ponder the words/phrases.
chapters are: Western European Languages (French, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese); Eastern European Languages (Czech and Hungarian, Polish, Russian); Yiddish Language; Nordic Languages (Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Icelandic); African Languages; Asian Languages (Chinese, Japanese, East/Southeast Asian Languages, Indian Languages); Ancient and Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Gaelic); Indigenous Languages; Creole and Pidgin Languages.
It's always interesting to read about concepts that English doesn't have. Sometimes it's something that simply doesn't apply in our culture, sometimes it's something we need help to recognize.
This is not a book to read cover to cover at one sitting, although it's not very long, only 123 pages. You have to ponder the words/phrases.
chapters are: Western European Languages (French, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese); Eastern European Languages (Czech and Hungarian, Polish, Russian); Yiddish Language; Nordic Languages (Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Icelandic); African Languages; Asian Languages (Chinese, Japanese, East/Southeast Asian Languages, Indian Languages); Ancient and Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Gaelic); Indigenous Languages; Creole and Pidgin Languages.
January 7, 2008
A brief, fun compendium of non-English words which are largely undefinable in English, or which have been incorporated intact into English idiom (e.g.
esprit d'escalier
,
schadenfreude
,
powwow
).
Some of my favorites include the Norwegian "utepils" ("the first drink of the year taken out of doors"), Japanese shibui (a beauty that only time and age can reveal), and the Indonesian ramai (a crowded, bustling, chaotic social environment that creates a common good -- e.g. a busy kitchen).
And of course, the essential Russian noun which might be weaponized against scores of pomo wanksters: poshlost .
Some of my favorites include the Norwegian "utepils" ("the first drink of the year taken out of doors"), Japanese shibui (a beauty that only time and age can reveal), and the Indonesian ramai (a crowded, bustling, chaotic social environment that creates a common good -- e.g. a busy kitchen).
And of course, the essential Russian noun which might be weaponized against scores of pomo wanksters: poshlost .
February 1, 2015
Fascinating little book collecting untranslatable, culturally-bound terms from around the world.
Fun examples include:
kiasu (Singlish) - one who always wants the best for oneself and tries hard to get it, such as a keen student who will hide the important book on another shelf to make sure no one else gets it before him.
mokita (Kiriwina, New Guinea) - the truth everyone knows but will not discuss openly, as it may cause embarrassment.
mamihlapinatapei (Tierra del Fuego) - when two people share a private unspoken moment through looks, usually in a public place. An expressive and meaningful silence.
qualia (Latin) - those experiences that we cannot possibly describe in words. Red is red is red.
Fun examples include:
kiasu (Singlish) - one who always wants the best for oneself and tries hard to get it, such as a keen student who will hide the important book on another shelf to make sure no one else gets it before him.
mokita (Kiriwina, New Guinea) - the truth everyone knows but will not discuss openly, as it may cause embarrassment.
mamihlapinatapei (Tierra del Fuego) - when two people share a private unspoken moment through looks, usually in a public place. An expressive and meaningful silence.
qualia (Latin) - those experiences that we cannot possibly describe in words. Red is red is red.
September 24, 2009
An engaging examination of words and phrases from around the world for which there are no English equivalents. Covering European, Yiddish, Nordic, Middle Eastern, African, Asian, Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Scottish, and Gaelic languages (and more), this is an immensely enjoyable romp for lovers of language. For example, the Japanese word "yokomeshi" (which literally means "boiled rice" [meshi:] and "horizontal" [yoko:]) is how the Japanese define the peculiar stress induced by speaking a foreign language. Unusual and enlightening.
April 27, 2013
I like the idea of this book, to share a variety of words and phrases from other languages that have interesting or entertaining meanings.
However, the book was very light and superficial, only intended to be a quick read. I know languages are FILLED with examples of quirky phrases that could have made it onto the list in this volume. Sure, filling the book with long lists would tire out most readers, but the book in its current incarnation smacks of something that took a weekend to gather and write.
It could have been better.
However, the book was very light and superficial, only intended to be a quick read. I know languages are FILLED with examples of quirky phrases that could have made it onto the list in this volume. Sure, filling the book with long lists would tire out most readers, but the book in its current incarnation smacks of something that took a weekend to gather and write.
It could have been better.
October 17, 2014
This is certainly a nice introduction book for those who just discovered the beauty of other languages. I like the way each chapter is started with a quick introduction to the language. What's unfortunate is that there are not enough words in each chapter. People who have read the tome that is Jacot de Boinod's I Never Knew There Was a Word for It might find this one a little lacking.
December 31, 2012
For anyone with a minor interest to majorly obsessive fascination in etymology. This book really shows how expressive you can be in other languages, on levels unimaginable in English. Some words give a clear insight into the cultures of other peoples, especially the indigenous and far-eastern.
My personal favourites are the Japanese "aware" and Navajo "hozh'q". Can you imagine a language where words are created on the basis of how they make us feel?
My personal favourites are the Japanese "aware" and Navajo "hozh'q". Can you imagine a language where words are created on the basis of how they make us feel?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews