ganas
n.— «“It’s an immigrant community that has a lot of ganas—a lot of desire to move ahead,” Professor Smith said of Mexicans in New York. The trouble, he added, is that the economic, social and community support needed to get ahead has not kept pace with that desire.» —“When the Diploma Is Just a Dream” by Emily Brady New York Times June 24, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ribbon fall. Gallery forest. You won’t find terms like these in most dictionaries, but they and hundreds like them are discussed by famous writers in the book Home Ground: A Guide to the American Landscape. The book is an intriguing collection...
Is there something inherent in English that makes it the linguistic equivalent of the Borg, dominating and consuming other languages in its path? No, not at all. The answer lies with politics and conquest rather than language itself. Plus: a new...