Merriam-Webster's 2023 Call Yields 15 Untranslatable Words, from Finnish Sisu to Welsh Hiraeth
Merriam-Webster recently invited bilingual individuals to share words from their native languages that lack direct translations in English. This call garnered submissions from speakers of diverse languages, including Yiddish, Hindi, and Japanese, among others. The editors selected 15 notable terms across three themes: emotional bonds, human imperfections, and vital cultural ideas. For instance, "mudita" from Sanskrit denotes joy for another’s achievement, while the Igbo word "ndo" expresses sympathy without an apology. Contributors such as Shmuel Shoham emphasized how these terms illustrate the intricate connections between language and cultural identity.
Key facts
- Merriam-Webster launched an open call on Twitter in early 2023 for words with no English equivalent.
- Submissions came in 14 languages plus American Sign Language, including Armenian, Tlingit, German, Japanese, Finnish, Spanish, Yiddish, Nahuatl, Norwegian, Hindi, Tagalog, Igbo, Sanskrit, and Welsh.
- The 15 entries were grouped into emotional connections, human failings, and culturally central states of being.
- Sanskrit mudita denotes joy at another's good fortune; Igbo ndo offers sympathy without admitting fault.
- German verschlimmbessern means making something worse while trying to improve it; Finnish sisu is grit that persists after ordinary perseverance fails.
- Hindi jugaad describes resourceful problem-solving with limited means; Welsh hiraeth is longing for a home that may not exist.
- Contributors included Shmuel Shoham, Anant Sundaram, Chika Unigwe, L'aakaw Éesh, Thomas Green, Mari Manoogian, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Johanne Spjelkavik, Emilia Lahti, Sarakshi Rai, Navi Radjou, Jaideep Prabhu, and Simone Ahuja.
- The terms continue to appear untranslated in English-language writing on meditation, workplace culture, and management.
Entities
Artists
- Shmuel Shoham
- Anant Sundaram
- Chika Unigwe
- L'aakaw Éesh
- Thomas Green
- Mari Manoogian
- Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Umberto Eco
- Johanne Spjelkavik
- Emilia Lahti
- Sarakshi Rai
- Navi Radjou
- Jaideep Prabhu
- Simone Ahuja
- Jean de La Fontaine
- Mesrop Mashtots
- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
- Laurent Clerc
Institutions
- Merriam-Webster
- Quartz
- Duden
- Aalto University
- University of Wales
- Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru
- American School for the Deaf
- Sisu Auto
Locations
- Finland
- Wales
- India
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Alaska
- British Columbia
- Yukon
- Hartford
- Connecticut
- Patagonia
- Argentina
- Spain
- Germany
- Japan
- Armenia
- Norway
- Denmark
- Sweden
- United States
- Australia
Sources
- Quartz —