Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Hardest Words to Translate?


(These were collected by a questionable translation company, but I can vouch for the Russian. Pochemuchka means something like "little why-asker." It's a neat word.)

  1. Ilunga: Bantu language of Tshiluba for "a person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time." However, there is no independent evidence that the word actually means what the translation company claims. When asked for confirmation by one reporter, representatives of the Congo government recognized the word only as a personal name. Furthermore, the translation company failed to respond to inquiries regarding the survey.
  2. Shlimazl (שלימזל): Yiddish for a chronically unlucky person. (Cf. Schlemiel). (NOTE. In colloquial Italian, it is very common to use the word sfigato with exactly the same meaning, in Dutch and German one says pechvogel[1], also used in colloq. German is the word Schlamassel, which refers to an unlucky situation)
  3. RadiostukaczPolish for a person who worked as a telegraphist for the resistance movements on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain. It is not a real word, only a mistake or a hoax.
  4. Naa (なぁ or なー): Japanese word originating in the Kansai (関西) area of Japan, especially in Osaka (大阪府), to emphasize statements or agree with someone.
  5. Altahmam (التهمام) Arabic for a kind of deep sadness.
  6. Gezellig Dutch for cosy (room, house, chair, etc.), pleasant (evening spent with friends), friendly (atmosphere). Similarly, German gesellig, having the second and third meaning.
  7. Saudade Portuguese for a certain type of longing.
  8. Sellaadhiroopavar  (செல்லாதிருப்பவர்): Tamil for a certain type of truancy.
  9. Pochemuchka (почемучка): Russian for a person who asks a lot of questions (usually a child).
  10. Klloshar Albanian for loser. Could be derived from French clochard (tramp).

No comments:

Post a Comment