Untranslatable Words

[Taylor514ce]

Being monolingual, I can't really provide words in "other" languages, now can I? I was hoping to attract more MR regulars to the Lounge with the last two threads (said the spider to the fly).

[zelda_pinwheel]

so that's your cunning plan...

[Taylor514ce]

Shhh... they won't know what hit 'em.

[Cthulhu]

@ Zelda: Generally, we call wimmin like that a "petit Fleur."

[Taylor514ce]

Don't be squeamish, now, tell her the actual term: squeamish.

Pronunciation: \ˈskwē-mish\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English squaymisch, modification of Anglo-French escoymous
Date: 15th century

1
a: easily nauseated : queasy
b: affected with nausea

2
a: excessively fastidious or scrupulous in conduct or belief
b: easily offended or disgusted

Bonus: escoymous = "to squirt"

[Taylor514ce]

Where are our German-speaking friends? Another from "In Other Words":

korinthenkacker [core-in-ten-cuck-er] (noun)

A "raisin pooper" -- that is, someone so taken up with life's trivial detail that they spend all day crapping raisins. You can spot these types a mile off -- it's that irritating pen pusher or filing fanatic whose favorite job is tidying up the stationery cupboard.

Any language with a specific word for that kind of person must be fairly dense with other examples. Out with them!

[Taylor514ce]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

"faux frères" (false brothers : we use this to mean words in different languages which look alike so you expect them to have the same meaning, but they don't. like "troubled" and "troublé".) (hey, a bonus untranslateable word for you...)

We Anglophonic word nerds use the term "false friends" for that. That leads me down another side alley, though: contronyms or auto-antonyms.

That article gives many English examples, but concludes with this:

"Auto-antonyms also exist in other languages. For example, in French hôte may mean either "host" or "guest", and in Hindi कल (kal, IPA: [kʌl]) may mean either "yesterday" or "tomorrow" (disambiguated by the verb in the sentence)."

So, sure, why not... let's expand the thread to cover those, too.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Where are our German-speaking friends?

I don't speak German - but in chess the German word 'zugzwang' is used for a situation where one is obliged to move, but whatever you do will only make things worse (you'd really like to pass but the rules of the game forbid it).

Another German word used in chess is zwischenzug. Typically, a player may analyze a sequence of tactical moves ('I take that, he takes this, I take that, he takes this ....') overlooking a move somewhere in the sequence where the opponent doesn't 'take this', but interposes an 'in-between' move (zwischenzug) first, negating the benefits of the tactical sequence originally envisaged.

[Sparrow]

A side issue that often puzzles me is the refusal to translate easily translatable words.

E.g. (exempli gratia ) the movement descriptions of classical music compositions.
Why not just say 'quite quick' instead of 'allegro moderato'?

It'd be one way to make classical music more accessible imho.

[montsnmags]

I don't know if it's untranslatable - I'm more curious about whether it is, or whether other languages have a similar term - but I've always liked "left-handed compliment" (or, meaning the same, "backhanded compliment").

Incidentally, Adrian, I really liked your beanie - it totally suited you.

Cheers,
Marc

[Sunlite]

Ok, I will try my hands on this one.

Spargeltarzan: a rather lanky man/boy. Often that person tries to show off his non existing muscles.

Saufkumpan: a person one is used to get utterly drunk with. This can be a friend but don't has to be (at least in the German definition of friend).

You ( the English speaking people) have annexed some other words that had no translation in English like Schadenfreude, Zeitgeist or schleppen.
The last has by the way created an English word that is not translatable into German: shlepp (sp?) as a noun.

[IceHand]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Where are our German-speaking friends?

I can't think of any untranslatable words at the moment, so ... some words that are funny when you translate them literally:

Jammerlappen (sl.): literally: whiny rag, means: sissy.

Staubsauger: literally: dust sucker, means: vacuum cleaner.

Originally Posted by Sparrow

A side issue that often puzzles me is the refusal to translate easily translatable words.

E.g. (exempli gratia ) the movement descriptions of classical music compositions.
Why not just say 'quite quick' instead of 'allegro moderato'?

Tradition, I guess. I've seen some German composers use German terms instead though, so not all of them are using Italian in their compositions.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Don't be squeamish, now, tell her the actual term: squeamish.

Pronunciation: \ˈskwē-mish\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English squaymisch, modification of Anglo-French escoymous
Date: 15th century

1
a: easily nauseated : queasy
b: affected with nausea

2
a: excessively fastidious or scrupulous in conduct or belief
b: easily offended or disgusted

Bonus: escoymous = "to squirt"

nausea is not my most pronounced symptom, more like extreme mental torment and anguish, sometimes leading to sudden unconsciousness, but ok...

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

We Anglophonic word nerds use the term "false friends" for that.

oh sorry, we say "faux amis" as well... i always want that expression to be "false brothers", and it was late when i wrote that (although if i'm honest, sometimes i've said "faux frères" when i was wide awake as well). it rolls so nicely off the tongue, with the alliteration, and it makes so much more sense than "faux amis", it really *should* be false brothers. why should friends look alike ? i have plenty of friends who look nothing like me. it's much more logical for something which looks like something else to be mistaken for its *brother*... sadly, no-one consulted me on this matter before inventing the expression.

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I don't know if it's untranslatable - I'm more curious about whether it is, or whether other languages have a similar term - but I've always liked "left-handed compliment" (or, meaning the same, "backhanded compliment").

what do you mean exactly by "left-handed compliment" ?

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Sunlite

Ok, I will try my hands on this one.

Spargeltarzan: a rather lanky man/boy. Often that person tries to show off his non existing muscles.

Saufkumpan: a person one is used to get utterly drunk with. This can be a friend but don't has to be (at least in the German definition of friend).

ha !! "Spargeltarzan" !!! hilarious !! i think i am going to start using that in french !!!

Originally Posted by Sunlite

You ( the English speaking people) have annexed some other words that had no translation in English like Schadenfreude, Zeitgeist or schleppen.
The last has by the way created an English word that is not translatable into German: shlepp (sp?) as a noun.

German language is really brilliant for creating perfectly descriptive compound words (like your examples). this is not easy to do in french because we don't really use several words together in this way, we would have to add "de" or "à la" in the middle, and it's not nearly as effective. "Schadenfreude", same as in english, there is no way to make one word in french to express that. i wish i knew more german because of this.

Originally Posted by IceHand

I can't think of any untranslatable words at the moment, so ... some words that are funny when you translate them literally:

Jammerlappen (sl.): literally: whiny rag, means: sissy.

Staubsauger: literally: dust sucker, means: vacuum cleaner.

i saw a book called "sky my husband", a friend of mine got it when she was studying english, it's a lot of french expressions translated literally into english. they become completely nonsensical. like the title, "ciel !" is used (well, not so much today anymore) as an exclamation, like "heavens !" but it literally means "sky". or "to be round like the handle of a shovel" (être rond comme une queue de pelle), it means to be really drunk...

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

...

what do you mean exactly by "left-handed compliment" ?

A left-handed, or backhanded, compliment, is when an insult is couched or hidden within a compliment.

Examples might be something like...

"Wow, you look great! If ever I put on weight I'll be coming to you for some fashion advice"

or

"Your complexion looks beautifully smooth in that photo"

or

"That beanie really suits you, Adrian".

Cheers,
Marc