12 Words We Need In The English Language

by Kevin Burton

   What a glorious toybox is language. Words and their shadings and peculiarities have been one of the few constants I can count on in life.

   The little sticks-and-stones bromide which states “words will never hurt me” is false in its context. Words can hurt a lot when used improperly, especially by those close to us.

  But in and of themselves, words will never hurt you.

   So how delighted I was to get an e-mail from something called dictionary scoop giving a list of 12 words from foreign languages that do not exist in English. If people use such words enough they are eventually absorbed into English. The third word on their list, I would say, has been absorbed.

   Before we get to their words, here is one of my own – “madrugada” from Spanish.  Madrugada means “the middle of the night” or “the wee hours.”  Since I am such a night owl, it’s a perfect word for me.

   I was introduced to the words by a pen pal from Spain who actually wrote it incorrectly.  I forget what she was saying now but she referred to “madruga” leaving off the last syllable.  I looked up the word in my Spanish-English dictionary and by context figured out she must have meant madrugada. 

   There was not a writer credit on the article so I don’t know who compiled these words. But here is what the website had to say:

   “Languages are a complex thing, and their particular idiosyncrasies can result in baffling or even poetic misunderstandings. Sometimes these confusions can be due to a bad translation, but many times words carry over such a large burden of cultural wisdom, that it ends up rendering any translation efforts almostimpossible without delving into the singular philosophies behind the words.”

1. Sobremesa  

   I wish English had a word for this. This Spanish noun refers to the small talk or conversations that happen after a meal when everyone is still seated.

2. Ngày kia

   A very useful one. This is Vietnamese for ‘the day after tomorrow.’

3. Schadenfreude

   For mean people… or anyone who likes to watch videos of funny accidents (not so funny if they happen to you, certainly). This is a German word that refers to getting joy from the misfortune of others.

4. Lagom

   This is a Swedish word that means something like ‘not too much and not too little, just the right amount.’ Why do people from northern Europe seem to have such concise words for almost philosophical concepts?

5. Epibreren

   A Dutch word that means to act convincingly as if you are doing something important, while actually doing nothing useful at all. Sort of sums up most office work.

6. Komorebi

   Japanese is a beautiful language full of deeply insightful metaphors or poetic images. This word is no exception, referring specifically to the sunlight that filters through forest trees.

7. Ahorita

   A fun one. This baffling Spanish adverb can mean anything from ‘right now’ to ‘maybe later,’ or ‘maybe never.’ So if you ask someone to do you a favor and they say ‘ahorita,’  don’t wait around.

8. Kalsarikännit

   Often translated as ‘päntsdrunk’ , this delightful Finnish word refers to the habit of drinking home alone in your underwear. The fact that this intriguing habit got its own word might have something to do with the fact that many Finns stay mostly isolated at home during Finland’s long and brutal winters. Self-isolation of people everywhere in recent times due to the COVID-19 pandemic created a global trend for this drinking habit, with many people embracing the kalsarikännit tradition.

9. Fargin

   A very wholesome word. Fargin is a Yiddish verb that means to ‘wholeheartedly appreciate the success of others.’ Kind of an antagonist to ‘schadenfreude’ if you think about it.

10. Verschlimmbessern

   A German verb that literally means ‘to make something worse while trying to improve it.’ Most of us have probably been guilty of verschlimmbessern -ing some situations. Ever tried fixing a bad haircut yourself? Well, there you go.

11. Tsundoku

   I’m guilty of this myself. This Japanese expression refers to ‘leaving a book unread after buying it, usually piled together along with many other unread books.’ Book hoarders, don’t let this word apply to you.

12. Saudade

   A personal favorite. This is a Portuguese word that conveys a feeling of nostalgia and bitter-sweet melancholy for something that is irretrievable, lost in time, or maybe even non-existent. Other languages have similar words, like the German word ‘sehnsucht,’  or the Touareg ‘assouf’ . Although English has technically no equivalent to ‘saudade,’  some people say that the African-American concept of the ‘blues’ can approximate the same feelings of yearning and nostalgia.