Articles and Stories

September 4, 2013

It’s not that some words are not translatable, it’s that there is not one single word in one language that will capture the essence of the concept from another language. Depending on the languages, translations can result in 15% – 25% more translated (or target) words than source words. It’s a matter of cultural differences and how they shape our language.

Here are a few that are difficult for English speakers:

Drachenfutter

German – [DRACH-ern-FOOT-er] While this word literally means “dragon fodder,” it refers to a type of gift German husbands bestow on their wives “when they’ve stayed out late or they have otherwise engaged in some kind of inappropriate behavior” – gifts like chocolates or flowers or a nice bottle of perfume (Moore 27).

Dozywocie

Polish – [dosch-VOCH] Many cultures share this concept, but Polish sums it up in a single word. “Parental contract with children guaranteeing lifelong support” (Rheingold 39).

Gagung

Cantonese – [ga-GUNG] Literally meaning “bare branches,” this word is used to talk about men who have little chance to get married or start families due to China’s one-child policy and its results: an excess of marriageable males as compared to females (Moore 85).

Luftmensch

Yiddish – [LUFT-mensh] – “One who lives on air” (Moore 53).
A sample from The Joys of Yiddish:
The prototype of the luftmensh was one Leone da Modena,..who listed his skills and cited no fewer than twenty-six professions… Why would so accomplished a man be classified as a luftmensh? Because out of all twenty-six professions.., he barely made a living.

Lagom

Swedish – [la-gum] While it translates into English as “enough” or “just the right amount,” lagom refers to more than just amounts. Author Alan Atkinson sees this word as a concept around which Swedish society is organized – one that could help combat the American consumer frenzy.

And, here are a few English words that prove to be difficult to translate:

Peck – a light kiss on the cheek – in French, it would be “Donner de coupe de la bec” or “Attack with the front of the beak.”

Spam (not the canned meat)- the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately. No other language has a single word for this concept; in fact the word spam itself is in common use in most languages as a loanword.

Serendipity – any discovery that’s unexpected, yet fortunate. You can also call it a lucky find, coincidence or happy accident, but I also feel it means, “happily meant to be”, although this may be my own interpretation.

And last, but not least, a favorite quote from George W. Bush:
“…the problem with the French is that they don’t have a word for entrepreneur.”