The English language consists of close to a million words. Still, there remain many words from different languages that have no English counterpart to them. These words are most often than not closely entangled with the culture that it originates from. Let’s look at 10 such words that evade the English vocabulary –
1. Wabi-Sabi (Japanese)
Finding beauty in imperfections and accepting that everything in life is subject to change
2. Saudade (Portuguese)
The feeling of longing for an absent someone or something you love that might never return
3. Hiraeth (Welsh)
A longing for the homeland or the romanticized past
4. Toska (Russian)
Great spiritual anguish without any specific cause; a longing with nothing to long for
5. Komorebi (Japanese)
Sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees
6. Hygge (Danish)
Relaxing with loved ones, usually while enjoying food and drink
7. Litost (Czech)
A feeling that intermixes grief , sympathy, remorse and longing.
8. Mangata (Swedish)
The glimmering reflection that the moon creates on water
9. Tampo (Filipino)
Withdrawing affection from a person when one’s feeling hurt
10. Resfeber (Swedish)
The anxiety and anticipation that the beginning of a journey induces in a traveler.
The English language Blog