13 words not found in the english language
1. waldeinsamkeit (german): the feeling of being alone in the woods
2. ilunga (tshiluba, congo): a person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time
3. taarradhin (arabic): a way of resolving a problem without anyone losing face (not the same as our concept of a compromise – everyone wins)
4. litost (czech): a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery
5. esprit de l’escalier (french): a witty remark that occurs to you too late, literally on the way down the stairs…
6. meraki (greek): doing something with soul, creativity, or love
7. yoko meshi (japanese): literally ‘a meal eaten sideways’, referring to the peculiar stress induced by speaking a foreign language:
8. duende (spanish): a climactic show of spirit in a performance or work of art, which might be fulfilled in flamenco dancing, or bull-fighting, etc.
9. guanxi (mandarin): in traditional chinese society, you would build up good guanxi by giving gifts to people, taking them to dinner, or doing them a favour, but you can also use up your gianxi by asking for a favour to be repaid.
10. pochemuchka (russian): a person who asks a lot of questions
11. tingo (pascuense language of easter island): to borrow objects one by one from a neighbour’s house until there is nothing left
12. radioukacz (polish): a person who worked as a telegraphist for the resistance movements on the soviet side of the iron curtain
13. selathirupavar (tamil): a word used to define a certain type of absence without official leave in face of duty
(via starongie)
