They Have a Word for It: Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words & Phrases

I ran across this book on eBay one day many years ago and couldn't resist buying it. I am so glad I did! This book's approach to terms and phrases is premised on the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, namely the idea that the language we speak shapes our view of the world. In an attempt to open the world's eyes to the various cultural perceptives created by the plethora of languages in existence, the author presents the reader with a fairly lengthy list of words and phrases all encompassing concepts not generally present in our English language (or concepts for which we have no specific vocabulary). These words are grouped categorically rather than by language, so one can browse through a particular topic and see which languages offer a term for certain ideas, or one can merely open the book at any point and read a random word/phrase from the page. For the truly dedicated reader, this book can be read in one or two sittings front to back. But however you choose to read this book, one thing is certain: it is one of the most re-readable books I have ever encountered! Because it is in many ways similar to an actual lexicon or dictionary, it is nearly impossible to read the book and remember everything in it. A second or third or even fourth visit will still be as enjoyable as the first. And everytime one will walk away with some unique and particularly impressionable word imprinted on their memory. It's really very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a love for language, a fascination with words, or the curiosity to learn about foreign concepts that don't really exist in English!

How many times have you thought to yourself, 'I wish there were a word for this' ? Sometimes a feeling, sometimes an object, sometimes a description simply defies a simple one or two word construction, but rather involves lengthy comparison and development to get the point across, and often (particularly in conversation) doing such development leads away from the main topic of discussion. Despite the vastness of the English vocabulary and the rich depth of heritage (a heritage strong on borrowing and adaptation), there are simply some things the English language lacks. I was reminded of this when writing a review on an archaeology book, in which the varying sense of history come through rather more clear in German than in English, where alternate words for history lose the historical sense. This reminded me of the wonderful book by Howard Rheingold: They Have a Word for It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words & Phrases. Originally published in 1988, it is now back in print, and was a recent selection in one of the book clubs to which I am an over-subscriber. Rheingold is the author of many books, many on topics of technology, creativity, and intelligence. Perhaps he is best known for The Millennium Whole Earth Catalog, published in 1994. `This book is meant to be fun. Open it at random and see if you don't find something that will amuse you, entertain you, titillate your curiosity, tickle your perspective. But you should know that reading this book might have serious side effects at a deeper level. Even if you read one page as you stand in a bookstore, you are likely to find a custom or an idea that could change the way you think about the world. It has to do with the insidious way words mold thoughts.' Indeed, this is true. The old dictum, 'don't think about elephants', is very true for this book. Each page will cause you think and ponder beyond the box of the English language. Given Rheingold's technological interests, part of this book was researched, assembled, and created on early computer bulletin board services (BBS), which yielded for Rheingold both new friendships as well as interesting contributions of untranslatable words. Rheingold offered dinner to contributors of valuable additions. `Thinking about the right kind of untranslatable words creates a certain state of mind. I found myself looking at the mundane elements of everyday life through a new kind of lens, which revealed to me dimensions in my familiar environment that I simply had not seen before because I hand't known how to look.' Words define who we are and how we see the word. Whether one lives in a literate society or not, whether one has other forms of intelligence (see Gardner's `Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences') such as musical, mathematical, etc., the way people are socialised and educated in most every society since the advent of language has been in terms of language, both oral and written. Humans have striven to put things into ev

I love languages. Each one has their own words and phrases that are entirely untranslatable without several sentences of explanation. As I have learned Italian over the last few years (in order to converse with my wife's relatives) I have found certain phrases in English that just don't translate into Italian directly. Now the tables are turned, as this book provides me with some Italian phrases that have a much deep meaning than might be imagined.The author, Howard Rheingold, has collected words for a lot of different languages, including Chinese, Hindi, Italian, French and even Hawaiian. In fact, one of my favorites comes from that language. ho'oponopono (HO-OH-poh-no-poh-no). It means "solving a problem by talking it out", something that I do on a regular basis (even if I am only talking to myself!)Italian gives us attaccabottoni ("a doleful bore who buttonholes people and tells sad, pointless tales.") I have run into a few of these in my life, so it is nice to have a new word with which to reference them. (SMILE)Each time I flip through the book I find more and more interesting words. Rheingold encourages you to start using the words in your vocabulary and I think I just might try. That way, the next time a friend bangs his or her thumb with a hammer you can reply "uffda", a Swedish "word of sympathy, used when someone else is in pain."

Rheingold (the editor of one of the editions of the Whole Earth Catalog) likes to collect unusual words from other languages. Some of the words are useful: e.g. "attaccabottoni" for someone who grabs the conversation and won't let you go. Or "Korinthenkacker" (literally "raisin crapper") for a boss that obsesses on insignificant details.Some of the words are hilarious: e.g. "buritilulo" for the New Guinea highlands practice of comparing yams to settle a dispute. I imagine two folks standing next to a pile of root vegetables, one saying to the other "Ah! Your yams are incredible! I concede!"And some of the words just seem to be good to know about: "mokita" for the truth everybody knows but nobody speaks;"razbliuto" for the feeling a person has for someone he or she once loved but now does not.Anyway, I loved it. Do I use the words? No. But it think it is amazing how many strange and wonderful concepts humans have honored with their own words.

I'm orderinga second copy of this book because I'm about to wear mine out. This book is full of weird words like kora, the hysterical belief that one's penis is shrinking and mbuki-mvuki, to shuck off clothes in order to dance. I mean, how many times do you want to describe that feeling and just cant come up with a word? Well, this book has them. We often give out awards where we name folks the most likely to Mbuki-Mvuki and so on -- they're a riot. Anyway, I love the book.