11 Untranslatable Words From Other Languages

11 Untranslatable Words From Other Languages

That's 'other than English', of course.

A tip of the hat to the people at the new Maptia Blog - who are "on a mission to build the most inspirational map in the world".

En route to doing that, they are creating beautiful content like this.

"The relationship between words and their meaning is a fascinating one, and linguists have spent countless years deconstructing it, taking it apart letter by letter, and trying to figure out why there are so many feelings and ideas that we cannot even put words to, and that our languages cannot identify," writes Maptia intern Ella Frances Sanders.

"Somehow narrowing it down to just a handful, we've illustrated 11 of these wonderful, untranslatable, if slightly elusive, words."

From the ring that a glass leaves on a table to the feeling that comes from not being in your own country, here are the 11 - beautifully illustrated - words Maptia chose:

11 Untranslatable Words From Other Languages
German: Waldeinsamkeit(01 of11)
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A feeling of solitude, being alone in the woods and a connectedness to nature.
Russian: Pochemuchka(02 of11)
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Someone who asks a lot of questions.
Inuit: Iktsuarpok(03 of11)
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The feeling of anticipation that leads you to go outside and check if anyone is coming.
Japanese: Komorebi(04 of11)
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When sunlight filters through the trees - the interplay between the light and the leaves.
Spanish: Sobremesa(05 of11)
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The period of time after a meal when you have food-induced conversations with the people you have shared the meal with.
Indonesian: Jayus(06 of11)
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Someone who tells a joke so badly, that is so unfunny, you cannot help but laugh out loud.
Hawaiian: Pana Poʻo(07 of11)
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When you scratch your head because it somehow seems to help you remember something.
Italian: Culaccino(08 of11)
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The mark left on a table by a cold glass.
French: Dépaysement(09 of11)
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The feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country - of being a foreigner, or an immigrant, of being somewhat displaced from your origin.
Urdu: Goya(10 of11)
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A contemplative 'as-if' that nonetheless feels like reality; a suspension of disbelief that can occur, often through good storytelling.
Swedish: Mångata(11 of11)
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The glimmering, roadlike reflection that the moon creates on water.