Seeing a post from The Witness Report today got me thinking, combined with my recognizing the post from something else.
The way the definition is designed is open-ended for a reason, the French are clever like that. Literally, it translates to ‘staircase wit’, when you leave an argument or exchange and then find something really good to reply back with and look smart, but alas, you’ve left the conversation and you end up really pissed off that you didn’t get to say it during the conversation.
Or, it could mean you’re talking to someone and can’t find any words to express what you’re feeling, and then you leave, and realize everything you couldn’t when you were facing her, or him, and your heart starts aching because you know you’ll never be able to find those words when you’re looking at her or him, and it hurts, probably a lot.
Those damn Frenchies.
At any rate, The Witness Report intrigued me after I read that post from a few days ago, because I saw some article on the internet about those kinds of words—words that have no equivalent ones in the English language; those that are untranslatable.
Everything I said prior relating to the base knowledge of that French phrase I just got from five minutes of Googleing—by no means am I actually knowledgeable in any field related to anything regarding this. But I’m just saying.
It’s pretty cool.
This link provides more examples of untranslatable words from around the world, with languages like German, Portuguese, Eskimo, Scottish, and others. Surprisingly not ‘l’espirt de l’escalier’ but I guess it’s special like that.
At any rate, check out the link. Good way to spend ten minutes on your Christmas Day. I had dinner yesterday, on Christmas Eve. Are we supposed to have Christmas Dinner the night before? My family always does, but we’re not white so I don’t think we’ll be socially reprimanded for doing such if its incorrect. But I always wondered.
Someone enlighten me. I’m now completely on a different path with this post.
Back on track. Untranslatable words. They’re a book on it too, apparently by C.J Moore called 'In Other Words’ that talks all about this language barrier shenanigans. Bet it’s worth the read.
Merry Christmas, kids. Go say something you can’t say in English to your family.
Also, Witness, this is a shoutout to you, Merry Christmas to you!
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