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Words with no English equivalent

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(@nelgin)
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Joined: 12 years ago

http://theweek.com/article/index/238751/14-wonderful-words-with-no-english-equivalent

 

I didn't want to lose this so I thought no better place to store it. Hope you enjoy them like I did.

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(@robert)
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Joined: 14 years ago

Indeed.

Also worth noticing (below it) is the list of soothing, quiet English words.
 
How about a list of words that don't strike much sense in human consciousness? I would first vote in 2: treacly, fortnight.
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(@Anonymous)
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Another wonderful word with no English equivalent is the Dutch "gezellig."   The closest English translation is cozy, but that's not really it, either.   Imagine the feeling of spending time with loved ones--everyone chatting, eating, drinking, relaxing--just having a good time together.   That feeling is gezellig.   The Dutch are very good at that.

 

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(@Anonymous)
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I hate to be a stickler, but I must. At least one of these "words" (Koi No Yokan) isn't a word at all, but a phrase. And can you really say that English doesn't have an equivalent phrase, when you provide one as the definition -- "the sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love"?

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