An "Untranslatable" Word?

[Hornbein]

I don't know that any word is truly untranslatable, but I'd say the more words it takes to explain the meanings of a foreign word is a measure of translatability. So how about the common Indonesian word biji. It is usually translated as "seeds", but actually it means "a collection of things that are pretty much the same" like seeds of the same variety. So the buttons on your shirt are biji. Screws are the hardware store are biji. But beware, there is also buah. That means "fruit" and also can mean "a collection of things that are pretty much the same." It depends one whether the things remind one more of seeds or of fruit, I guess. Are hen's eggs biji or buah or can they be either? I'll have to ask someone.

There is also a nice complex near here called Biji World. That's different, it's just a single thing. I guess it is metaphorically considered to be a seed that will grow in influence. Like other Asian languages, there is usually no distinction between singular and plural forms.

Then there is bunga, which usually means "blossom" but also can mean "interest on a loan or deposit."

 

[sbrothy]

For some reason I always hear that the Danish word "hygge" (coziness), "hyggeligt" (cozy) is a unique Danish word and concept, because obviously the 5-6 millions inhabitants of Denmark are the only people who came up with having a nice time with family and friends?!

I've never understood this!

EDIT: It's a little the commandment: "Honor thy parents!" Because no exasperated parent could possibly have thought of that of themselves!

 

[sevensages]

Deja Vu

 

[OmCheeto]

I once asked a couple of my Russian buddies what 'stremnaya / стрёмная' meant and they discussed the meaning for 5 minutes before they gave me their answer. That was around 20 years ago so I don't remember what they said.

This of course all started with images of a road in China carved into a cliff, which people claimed was in Bolivia, and called 'Stremnaya Road'. 'Stremnaya' being merely an adjective with translates roughly to: 'to be filled with dread'.
[ ref1] [ref 2]

 

[Hill]

I once asked a couple of my Russian buddies what 'stremnaya / стрёмная' meant and they discussed the meaning for 5 minutes before they gave me their answer. That was around 20 years ago so I don't remember what they said.

This of course all started with images of a road in China carved into a cliff, which people claimed was in Bolivia, and called 'Stremnaya Road'. 'Stremnaya' being merely an adjective with translates roughly to: 'to be filled with dread'.
[ ref1] [ref 2]

Russian is my mother's tongue and I also don't know what that word means. It certainly is not or was not an official word of Russian language back then. Perhaps, some regional dialect.

 

[Janus]

The word "Sisu" in Finnish comes to mind. One attempt that tries to define it goes like this " Extraordinary determination, courage and resoluteness in the face of extreme adversity. An action mindset which enables individuals to see beyond their present limitations and into what might be. Taking action against the odds and reaching beyond observed capacities." On the other hand, sometimes it just means "Bullheaded stubbornness".

 

[DaveC426913]

There is also a nice complex near here called Biji World. That's different, it's just a single thing.

Is it? Or are you taking it too literally?

If I go to Spatula World, that doesn't mean there is one thing that is a spatula; it means it is a world of all things spatula.

So Biji World would be a world full of things that are all the same. It might be a Bulk Store, where they sell bulk products in barrels. Buttons: $4/lb. Staples: $8/lb. Napkins: $5/lb

 

[DaveC426913]

Just heard this one on the radio this morning.

Merriam-Webster* recognizes the only non-Earth language word: grok. (It's Martian)

It's also a word that translates poorly to Earth languages.

* _{I think}

 

[sbrothy]

Deja Vu

"Deja vu" = "seen again". I seem to remember from KSR's Mars Trilogy that there's also:
"Jamais Vu" = "never seen" (the opposite of Deja vu) and
"Presque vu" = which is the feeling that you're about to get an epiphany but then the feeling disappears abruptly.

Deja vu is a little like sleep paralysis, something we almost all experience during our lives, but the other two are, I think, symptoms of possible mental illnesses like, for instance, bipolarity.

But don't take my word for it.

EDIT: With this: "Deja vu is a little like sleep paralysis", I mean quantitatively. Not qualitatively.

 

[pinball1970]

Deja vu is a little like sleep paralysis, something we almost all experience during our lives, but the other two are, I think, symptoms of possible mental illnesses like, for instance, bipolarity.

Up voting the first part but not this.
Sleep paralysis is when your brain wakes but your body does not. It is very distressing because you cannot move or breathe properly.

Bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, not connected.

 

[sbrothy]

Not to sleep paralysis, no. I just meant it's a thing most of us experience once or more during a lifetime, as with deja vu. The other 2 are much more rare.

EDIT: And I agree, sleep paralysis is really really uncomfortable. First time I thought I had had a brain aneurism.

EDIT2: If you can trust Wiki there seems to be a connection with mental illness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamais_vu

EDIT3: This, for instance, does not look fun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization-derealization_disorder

 

[sbrothy]

Seems to perhaps be a book based on a paper. Anyway, it's behind a paywall:

The Déjà Vu Experience

 

[sbrothy]

Up voting the first part but not this.
Sleep paralysis is when your brain wakes but your body does not. It is very distressing because you cannot move or breathe properly.

Bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, not connected.

I was perfectly able to breathe but I couldn't move. I could also feel my right arm hammering back and forth even though I could see it was lying still. So I concluded: "Brain anuerism! I'm alone! How am I going to get my phone and call emergency?".

20 seconds later I jolted awake. I've had anxiety attacks that was more fun.

EDIT: To make matters worse I'd never heard of sleep paralysis. If you have kids do them a favor and tell them about it!

 

[BillTre]

OK since the scenarios are getting a bit non-standard, instead of translating froom randomor made up languages to English, what about translating between jargon and non-jargon?
Many science words are international in that they are so similar in different languages (so said my Russian teacher).
I believe there are many words used in scientific discussions that putting them into English or some other language would be very difficult just because of the obscurity of the subjects. I am sure that there are many in physics and math since so many have said you have to understand major aspects of some field first to understand some concept.

Here are a few simple and common ones from biology:

• gastrulation
• endosymbiot
• archaea
• taxon

Some concepts in biology lack an agreed upon definition, possibly making things more difficult:

• species
• life

 

[martinbn]

I once asked a couple of my Russian buddies what 'stremnaya / стрёмная' meant and they discussed the meaning for 5 minutes before they gave me their answer. That was around 20 years ago so I don't remember what they said.

This of course all started with images of a road in China carved into a cliff, which people claimed was in Bolivia, and called 'Stremnaya Road'. 'Stremnaya' being merely an adjective with translates roughly to: 'to be filled with dread'.
[ ref1] [ref 2]

My language has a word стръмна, which means steep. So all this makes sense.