The Words We Don’t Have
One of my minor regrets is that I didn’t acquire a Scottish
accent when growing up. I think it’s far more appealing that my South African
one. Still, I’m infinitely grateful that I at least grew up speaking English.
When it comes to languages spoken around the world, English
is the 800-pound gorilla. About 400 million people speak it as their first
language. But another billion are estimated to speak it as their second
language. One measure of its universality is its use by air traffic controllers
and pilots around the world. (Exception: China.)
So what is the appeal of my mother tongue to so many people?
One reason is that its grammar is relatively easy to learn. Another is
English’s extensive and versatile vocabulary.
Yet even English, with our hundreds of thousands of words,
can’t cover everything. So what words don’t we have? The Meaning of
Tingo begins to tell us. It’s an anthology by Adam Jacot de Boinod of
non-English words that he’s gleaned from around the world. Some examples:
Koshatnik = A Russian word meaning a dealer in stolen
cats.
Curglaff = Scottish dialect for the shock felt when
plunging into cold water
Jeruhuk = A Malay word meaning the act of stumbling
into a hole concealed by long grass.
Verbunkos = Hungarian, a dance performed to persuade
people to enlist in the army.
Menetah = An Indonesian word meaning to help a little
child walk by holding its hands.
Ngarong = A word from the Dyak language, in Borneo,
meaning an adviser who appears in a dream and clarifies a problem.
Finally, remember zirad. You never know when you
might need it. It’s from the Maasai people of East Africa, meaning a rope tied
around a camel’s neck to prevent it from vomiting on its rider.
[300 words]
