There is something magical about finding a word that can express exactly what you are thinking with only a handful of letters. Ella Frances Sanders’ Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World is just the sort of book every logophile needs. From boketto to ya’aburnee, Sanders’ whimsical illustrations bring to life over 50 untranslatable words from around the world.
I mentioned this book in my September Favorites video, and with the holiday season fast approaching, I highly recommend getting this book for any word lover in your life. It’s a lovely, little book to flip through and is full of fascinating words that make you wonder why there is no English equivalent. For instance, in Malay, there is a word for the time needed to eat a banana, and in Tulu, there is a word for the mark left on your skin when you wear something tight. If there were two things I could change about this book, I would want to add a pronunciation guide as well as have the words in alphabetical order; however, the book is still delightful just the way it is.
One of my favorite words from the book is the Dutch adjective gezellig, which “describes more than just coziness – a positive warm emotion or feeling rather than just something physical – and connotes time spent with loved ones, togetherness.” Isn’t that beautiful? If words were clothes, this one would be a snugly sweater.
This book was provided by Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.