When there are no words…

From the Huffington Post

Emma Block is an illustrator who has provided a great example for how different cultures prioritize concepts via the words available. How would we describe the space inside of a hug and what it feels like? The Welsh would say “cwtch.” Words are a concrete way to move experience into our understanding but all language is limiting.

27 Beautiful Words For Love That Have No Direct English Translation
Perfect for when English fails you.

by Ashley Reich
Executive Editor, Weddings and Divorce, The Huffington Post

When we try to express how we feel for a spouse or loved one, sometimes the English language just comes up short.

Thanks to London-based illustrator Emma Block and the diamond company Vashi, we now have an illustrated dictionary of words for love from around the world that have no English equivalent.

Block told HuffPost her favorite word in the series is the Welsh word “Cwtch.”

“It’s a lovely word. It means a hug/a safe place provided by a loved one,” she said. “I have no idea how to pronounce it though!”

Check even more words out below (and good luck pronouncing them!).

Here are some great images from the post. Read the full article here.

It is of note that all other primates spend an immense amount of time grooming their partner every day. It must be why those monkeys have such great hair…

8 thoughts on “When there are no words…”

  1. I believe that the meaning of this post is to tell the reader that every feeling can be expressed in more ways than just the ones we are accustomed to. In this piece, the author uses English, but it’s the same thing as if the author was a Russian writing in Russian or if the author was Chinese writing in Chinese. All the author is trying to get across is that there are more than one way or category of expressing feelings and emotions than what we view as the norm. The author even goes as far as to make up words or in fact use words from a different language, even though the word that the author could be thinking of already has an English form. To make a long story short, never get used to being ordinary, instead seek new meaning in all parts of your life from all of the various sources around you and life could be that much more fulfilling.

  2. I have read about this illustrator and this work of hers in Chinese before and it is interesting to see that every language, and people who speak them, feel that they miss some beautiful/delicate words from other languages. I may not say I speak several languages perfectly, but for me, feeling the differences among languages is actually experiences of approaching cultures. Although we are all amazed by the beauty of language, there are things cannot be illustrated by any languages, while we all understand when we are facing a person speaks other languages than we do. I think the practice of Aikido definitely correspond with this commonness among human being, maybe through a small gesture of guard or breathing for peace. Instructors of Aikido class often use a lot of Japanese word on class – name of a move or a concept, and I guess it was hard to translate it into English and the explanation of a single word may vary due to different context. Through classes, I think I got a much better senses of the words, not by learning the language but learning our motion and feel the theories. However I do enjoy learning about the delicacy of other languages, and they definitely add favors to life.

  3. This post is so important. I think language is one of the biggest, most significant reflections of a society and culture, because language ultimately dictates and provides spaces for our thoughts, thoughts that we communicate, or keep to ourselves. When in the English language, no words even exist for all the different things we can feel, how do we make sense of them or even know they are there? I think it is important to recognize that we have language because it’s a tool. Words are the tools we use to craft our ideas. How can we be thinking to the depth of our potential, or even begin to be able to explore an idea when our language is so limited this way? This article was also very intriguing because it brought illumination to spaces that are absent of words, feelings and situations that exist in a sort of formless existence. It is actually a really cool and interesting idea to take something and strip it of labels and social constructs and really look at it and how it exists in an empty space without context. Then we can see its true form and probably see a lot of things we were blind to before.

  4. This post shows how important the small physical parts of interacting with someone are. Words can mean a lot and get very large points across but sometimes it’s the physical things that we do that carry the most meaning. A lot of words and their meanings are lost through translations to different languages, especially to English, but some physical acts such as a hug mean the same all over the world. I believe this same concept transfers to Aikido. Martial arts gives us a beautiful way to connect to other people past all language boarders.

  5. This post expresses the importance of understanding that there is universal language that everyone and everywhere can understand = love. Love, can be expressed in many different ways, in different language and in many forms but they all mean the same thing and convey one meaning. Sometimes, words fail us. When they do, most people turn to actions. Understanding something does not necessarily require someone to hear, but only to understand. There are many ways someone can understand a situation or a gesture beyond words. For example, a simple act of kindness, kiss on the cheek, or a warm hug – all without words but can be easily understood. Understanding beyond words require full attention and awareness. Much like Aikido, where awareness is key.

  6. This post is interesting because it brings up the fact that strong emotions and practices cannot always be expressed in words. I think this is central to the practice of Aikido and many other physical activities. In the same way that love cannot be taught or always written out in words, it cannot be described in words how to find you own balance or how to find a stillness of mind. These are things that have to be practiced and discovered. Through the practice of Aikido it is possible to learn new ideas in a way that would not be possible in a classroom or with a textbook. In addition to the implications Aikido has on how to connect to yourself, there are many ways which Aikido can bring people together. Different cultures of people may not speak the same languages or share similar customs, but through Aikido it is still possible to share something strong to create a bond.

  7. I really liked seeing this post on here, as an art student it jumped out at me. I think looking at other languages is also interesting as we have been learning some Japanese in the course, and there are a lot of words and concepts that take a lot of words to explain, and that different people view differently (like ki and do/tao). The combination of the word with the illustration and then the definition is really powerful – I especially like that the translation is the last part read. The sequence the viewer is taken through is the word, then the image, then the definition, then back to the image. I do think it may have been more effective if the people in the drawings “looked like” they were from areas where the language was spoken, instead of being the same couple, especially because it being the same two people doesn’t tell a consistent story. Critiques aside, language is very interesting.

    This article made me also think, like someone else mentioned, of how there are words in English without a real translation in other languages. When studying the vocab for our final, I was surprised to see that ‘kokoro’, which means heart in Japanese, pertains to both the intellect and emotional sense of self. Little things like this speak a lot to the culture of a language, both in the way that the people influence the language as they create words they need to express what they feel, and the way that notions are formed by things like the linking of intellect and what we think of as the ‘heart’ typically.

  8. This post is really beautiful. There are so many times in life where I feel like I can’t describe something that I’m feeling; it’s like there are both too many words and too few words. What’s beautiful to see is that these feelings transcend cultures and languages. Though we may not have a word for a particular feeling in English, it exists in another. Words are limiting but feelings are the same no matter who you are in the world. Two of the words that really stuck out to me were “naz” which is Urdu for “the pride you feel from being loved” and “firgun” which is Hebrew for the simple, unselfish joy that something good has happened to someone else.” The former, “naz,” is something I feel quite often because of having a little sister. I was an only child for 16 years before she was born, and now I am always prideful of her love when she runs to me for a hug because she’s happy to see me. The latter, “firgun” is another feeling that I express quite often but can never put it into words. I feel “firgun” when my friends get a new job, or get into a class they really wanted to get into. So often these feelings are mistaken for jealousy, when really the word I’m looking for is “firgun,” it just doesn’t exist in English. In regards to Aikido, I don’t think there is a word to describe the feeling one gets when they are practicing the art. It’s a mixture of gratitude, accomplishment, and peace that we don’t have in English. I think it’s important to remember that everyone in the world shares these same feelings, whether they be everyday human emotions or the emotions of an aikidoist. We’re all the same and we all feel the same, some things just get lost in translation.

Comments are closed.