Each Monday on the Pure Purpose blog, I feature This Week’s 7, a simple list about an everyday topic, giving you ideas and encouragement. This week features more of a creative challenge. I like words. I like to express myself and help others express themselves, and I enjoy digging into (very basic) Greek and Hebrew when studying God’s Word. I like the sound of foreign languages and enjoy the chatter of families and business people travelling through large international airports. I try to figure out what people are talking about based on their inflections, tone and body language. Of course, I recognize I’m imposing my own cultural norms onto others when making assumptions. I also play “sounds like” as I hear foreign words which sound like something I know in English.
This week I’m introducing you to seven words of various languages. What they have in common is no English equivalent. Apparently, we don’t need the specific word. It might take us several words to express the same concept. As you read through them, consider what words you would most miss if they didn’t exist. Be thankful for the opportunity to communicate.
- Slampadato (Italian) Addiction to the UV glow of tanning salons.
- Luftmensch (Yiddish) A social misfit, who is an impractical dreamer with no business sense.
- Pana Po’o (Hawaiian) To scratch your head in order to help you remember something you’ve forgotten.
- Gumusservi (Turkish) Moonlight shining on water.
- Vybafnout (Czech) To jump out and say boo.
- Mencolek (Indonesian) To tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them.
- Glas wen (Welsh) A smile that is insincere or mocking.
For some of the words and phrases my family as “created” and used, visit Code Words.