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Words that exist in only one language.
Thread poster: Henry Dotterer
Nicola Pizzamiglio
Nicola Pizzamiglio
Italy
Local time: 06:33
English to Italian
+ ...
Kalabit [Tagalog] Nov 25, 2004

An “original” word in Tagalog (Filipino) I never managed to translate properly neither in Italian nor in English is kalabit, which at best can be described as a “light and surreptitious touch with the tip of the finger in calling attention”. Quite simple fact, that maybe we even experienced, but no exact or one-word correspondence for it in the two languages that I know. I saw it translated as “pat” or simply “touch”, but the phenomenological act of the kalabit is rather differen... See more
An “original” word in Tagalog (Filipino) I never managed to translate properly neither in Italian nor in English is kalabit, which at best can be described as a “light and surreptitious touch with the tip of the finger in calling attention”. Quite simple fact, that maybe we even experienced, but no exact or one-word correspondence for it in the two languages that I know. I saw it translated as “pat” or simply “touch”, but the phenomenological act of the kalabit is rather different. Words are born into and describe worlds: the simple experience of the kalabit fits the gentle, reserved, and intimate world of the friendship systems in the Philippine archipelago. Does anyone know a closer translation in other languages?Collapse


 
Robert Allwood
Robert Allwood  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:33
Spanish to English
+ ...
brio, saudade, duende, gemuetlich/gezellig, Stammtisch Nov 25, 2004

Well, not my native languages, but there are of course brio, saudade, duende, gemuetlich/gezellig, Stammtisch.

 
welshnik
welshnik
Local time: 05:33
German to English
+ ...
How about "burgernah"? Nov 25, 2004

Has anyone found a one or two word concise expression in English for "burgernah" yet? The closest I have got is "which represents the best interests of the citizens" or such like.

 
Kim Metzger
Kim Metzger  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 23:33
German to English
Bürgernah Nov 25, 2004

welshnik wrote:

Has anyone found a one or two word concise expression in English for "burgernah" yet? The closest I have got is "which represents the best interests of the citizens" or such like.


You're right. Bürgernah is a hard one to pin down. Here are a few attempts:

http://www.proz.com/kudoz/170120
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/835921

I kind of like "grassroots"

[Edited at 2004-11-25 17:15]


 
Yamato (X)
Yamato (X)
Bulgaria
Local time: 07:33
Russian to Spanish
+ ...
I can translate one!! Nov 25, 2004

Robert Allwood wrote:

Well, not my native languages, but there are of course brio, saudade, duende, gemuetlich/gezellig, Stammtisch.


Hey, I think that I can find a translation for one of the words.

In any case, it is still a very good word for this topic since my translation is not linguistic, it is only related to the musical plane.

The word is "duende". It comes from Flamenco (is that the word you where thinking of?) and it is what jazzmen call "the swing" and bluesmen and other kind of musicians call "feeling."

In case someone is not into music, it is the capacity of playing with something more than good technique, to play giving yourself out to the music, to really express your soul in the playing.


 
babbler
babbler
Indonesian to English
+ ...
"kreng jai" can be translated, but maybe not with one word Nov 27, 2004

A good English translation of "kreng jai" might be "to be reluctant to impose". I don't think there is one word in English with the same meaning, although "considerate" is at least related. I sometimes hear people say that foreigners have no word for "kreng jai", and that they are thus boorish and thoughtless. But the idea exists, even if there is no single term for it. In Thai, however, there is also a whole social and cultural context of "kreng jai", with norms about when it is expected an... See more
A good English translation of "kreng jai" might be "to be reluctant to impose". I don't think there is one word in English with the same meaning, although "considerate" is at least related. I sometimes hear people say that foreigners have no word for "kreng jai", and that they are thus boorish and thoughtless. But the idea exists, even if there is no single term for it. In Thai, however, there is also a whole social and cultural context of "kreng jai", with norms about when it is expected and appropriate, based on relative social status, etc.




Boonpak wrote:

\" Kreng Jai \" In Thai

I\'m not sure whether there is any equal word in English. But I once heard one westerner say \" I can\'t find this word in my language \" or sth .

When your friend offer to make you a cup of tea. This feeling \"Kreng Jai\" might happen in your mind. Not because you don\'t want a cup of tea. But you feel that your friend don\'t need to spend their effort for your own affair.

If there is a word in English equal to this word plz let me know ( by postings)
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Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 06:33
Spanish to English
+ ...
To finger? Nov 29, 2004

Nicola Pizzamiglio wrote:

An “original” word in Tagalog (Filipino) I never managed to translate properly neither in Italian nor in English is kalabit, which at best can be described as a “light and surreptitious touch with the tip of the finger in calling attention”. Quite simple fact, that maybe we even experienced, but no exact or one-word correspondence for it in the two languages that I know. I saw it translated as “pat” or simply “touch”, but the phenomenological act of the kalabit is rather different. Words are born into and describe worlds: the simple experience of the kalabit fits the gentle, reserved, and intimate world of the friendship systems in the Philippine archipelago. Does anyone know a closer translation in other languages?


as with a guitar or a lute? One thing for sure between people: to call someone's attention with a touch.

For curiosity's sake, I looked up "touch" in my English>Tagalog dictionary and came up with the following synonyms...

humipo (to touch physically, general)
sumalat (to feel, as with temperature or in reading Braille)
pakiramdaman (to feel by contact)
magdaiti/idikit (to put two things together)
masayad (to graze involuntarily)
haplusin (to stroke/caress)
tapikin (to pat)
kamayin (to manipulate, as in food)
galawin (to move in touching)
bumagabag/tumimo (to touch emotionally)
humibang (to affect deeply)
maukol, magkaroon ng kinalaman (to relate; "touching on the matter of...")
tumikim (lit., to taste, used as in "he never touches liquor")
kalabitin, kantiin (your example)
banggitin (to mention; a conversation touches a certain subject)
umabot (to reach the level of something)
masagi (to touch accidentally)
sumalang (to graze, likely causing pain as with an open wound)
katiting/bahagya (a bit; "a touch of fever"; bahagya refers to a tendency)

Not surprising. Depending on what you want to communicate, "I love you" comes up to 40 versions.


 
Tak004 (X)
Tak004 (X)
Local time: 14:33
English to Japanese
+ ...
ˆêŠúˆê‰ï(Ichigoichie) Dec 10, 2004

Ichigoichie is a Japanese word known to be used in tea ceremonies. It means "once-in-a-life-time chance", but the word itself has some kind of an air that the translation does not have. English translation(written above)will probably be closer to another Japanese word, "��ڈ���̃`�����X(sennzai ichigu-no chance)". Personally, I think Ichigoichie has a profound meaning to it saying
"This is a special opportunity(tea ceremony), so we must enjoy every bit of it."
Because I think t
... See more
Ichigoichie is a Japanese word known to be used in tea ceremonies. It means "once-in-a-life-time chance", but the word itself has some kind of an air that the translation does not have. English translation(written above)will probably be closer to another Japanese word, "��ڈ���̃`�����X(sennzai ichigu-no chance)". Personally, I think Ichigoichie has a profound meaning to it saying
"This is a special opportunity(tea ceremony), so we must enjoy every bit of it."
Because I think this way, I can insist that the word Ichigoiche is a special word that only exist in Japanese.
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Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 06:33
Italian to English
Do a round with Jane Austen... Jan 17, 2005

Coming back to the difficulties of translating "fare un giro", at a certain point in "Sense and Sensibillity", Miss Steele comes up to Elinor, takes her by the arm and says "Come do a round with me" as a way of asking her to walk around with her. Problem solved??

 
Blanca González
Blanca González  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:33
English to Spanish
+ ...
two more in Spanish Jan 25, 2005

What about cursi and repipi?

Most little girls are repipi, they seem to know and talk about everything, with words that do not go with their age. It's something like affected, but not exactly.

And then we have cursi. I've never been able to translate it correctly. It's a mixture of pretentious, affected and prudish. Maybe the best explanation is the saying "más cursi que un repollo con lazos", that is, more cursi than a cabbage with bows. The idea is something full o
... See more
What about cursi and repipi?

Most little girls are repipi, they seem to know and talk about everything, with words that do not go with their age. It's something like affected, but not exactly.

And then we have cursi. I've never been able to translate it correctly. It's a mixture of pretentious, affected and prudish. Maybe the best explanation is the saying "más cursi que un repollo con lazos", that is, more cursi than a cabbage with bows. The idea is something full of frills and bows. But it can also be applied to people, old ladies, for example. And little girls as well.
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Blanca González
Blanca González  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:33
English to Spanish
+ ...
morriña Jan 26, 2005

Robert Allwood wrote:

Well, not my native languages, but there are of course brio, saudade, duende, gemuetlich/gezellig, Stammtisch.


There's a beautiful translation for saudade in Galician (as Galicia and Portugal are so near, it's no surprise). It's morriña. I'm not sure, but I think that in Galicia they use both words as synonyms. Julio Iglesias sang, when he was young (quite a few years ago)in "Canto a Galicia":

"Teño morriña, teño saudade,
porque estoy leixos de esos teus lares"


 
Refugio
Refugio
Local time: 22:33
Spanish to English
+ ...
Serendipity Feb 13, 2005

Is there an equivalent in other languages? It is a coined word.

Main Entry: ser·en·dip·i·ty
Pronunciation: -'di-p&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: from its possession by the heroes of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for

serendipity \sehr-uhn-DIP-uh-tee\, noun:
The faculty or phenomenon of making fortunate accidental discoveries.
... See more
Is there an equivalent in other languages? It is a coined word.

Main Entry: ser·en·dip·i·ty
Pronunciation: -'di-p&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: from its possession by the heroes of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for

serendipity \sehr-uhn-DIP-uh-tee\, noun:
The faculty or phenomenon of making fortunate accidental discoveries.


--David Freeman, One of Us


--Lesley Hazleton, Driving To Detroit: An Automotive Odyssey


--Edward Hooper, The River: A Journey to the Source of HIV and AIDS


----------------------------------------------------------------


The word serendipity was formed by English author Horace Walpole (1717-1797) from Serendip (also Serendib), an old name for Sri Lanka, in reference to a Persian tale, The Three Princes of Serendip, whose heroes "discovered, quite unexpectedly, great and wonderful good in the most unlikely of situations, places and people."

For those ProZians who would like to sample a serendipitous experience, I recommend that you visit Aurora's humorous vision of the journey that is translation, recently translated from the Spanish by (ahem) me:

http://www.proz.com/topic/29306
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Will Matter
Will Matter  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 22:33
English
+ ...
Sabishii Apr 18, 2005

In terms of being "untranslatable", the shortest possible definition for "sabishii" is probably " a profoundly abject personal sense of uncurable loneliness". My two cents.

 
Deschant
Deschant
Local time: 05:33
Ancient languages Apr 28, 2005

Latin and Ancient Greek have words that I never succeeded to translate properly. For example, ater/ nigrus and albus/ candidus. Ater und nigrus mean black, but ater refers to a dull black and nigrus to a "bright" black. Same for albus/ candidos, which mean both white. Or the difference between eros, agape and philia (three kinds of love). They can obviously be translated with more than one word, but it's really hard work when all of them appear in the same text.

 
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Words that exist in only one language.







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