Laurent Nunez's 'Mots de passe' Explores Untranslatable Words
French author Laurent Nunez introduces thirteen terms from various languages that lack direct French translations in his book 'Mots de passe', released on August 31, 2026. Nunez, a former editor-in-chief of Magazine littéraire, has previously penned essays such as 'L'Énigme des premières phrases' (2017) and 'Il nous faudrait des mots nouveaux' (2018), in addition to novels and autobiographical pieces. The book highlights words including the English 'eye-servant', the Dutch 'kutzwager', and the Icelandic 'gluggaveður', as well as discussing 'Mo-Ki-Ta', 'boycott'—a term attributed to Charles Cunningham Boycott—and 'féminicide', a term introduced by Diana Russell in 1976. The RFI podcast episode also showcased Gildas Hassidé's Kids Speaker Program in Togo and Benin, featuring music by Angèle.
Key facts
- Laurent Nunez's book 'Mots de passe' features 13 untranslatable words from other languages.
- The book was published on August 31, 2026, and discussed on RFI's podcast 'De vive(s) voix'.
- Nunez is a writer, translator, and former editor-in-chief of Magazine littéraire.
- Examples include English 'eye-servant', Dutch 'kutzwager', and Icelandic 'gluggaveður'.
- The word 'boycott' originates from British farmer Charles Cunningham Boycott in 1880.
- 'Féminicide' was coined in 1976 by Diana Russell and entered Petit Robert in 2015 and Larousse in 2020.
- The RFI segment also featured Gildas Hassidé's Kids Speaker Program in Benin and Togo.
- The musical selection was Angèle's 'Une seule vie'.
Entities
Artists
- Laurent Nunez
- Diana Russell
- Gildas Hassidé
- Angèle
Institutions
- RFI
- Magazine littéraire
- Grasset
- Cerf
- Actes Sud
- Rivages
- Champ Vallon
- Petit Robert
- Larousse
Locations
- France
- Papua New Guinea
- South Africa
- Cotonou
- Benin
- Togo