Words for every occasion: English is not as diverse as you might think.

Diversity in words

If you’re one of those people who insist on having the last word and the answer to everything, we are sure you completely disagree with the above statement.

There are many arguments either way but in no language other than English is phrasal verb use so prolific, speaking volumes about the need for creating diversity where there is none or it is limited.

Take, for example, the classic example of the extensive variety of words for snow in Inuit. We have ‘sleet’, and ‘snow’, and that is about all. It is not as though we are oblivious to snow either, whether it is that fine stuff that doesn’t settle or the slushy stuff that seeps in through your shoes no matter how waterproof they are. We know what it is. So why such a short list of names for all the different types of it?

Japanese competes with Inuit in the weather stakes by having a high number of different words for rain. Perhaps this is a little overzealous and there really is no need to differentiate between ‘cold’ and ‘chilly’ rain, however, to a Japanese person these probably make a lot more sense than our ‘cover all bases’ of simply ‘rain’: it is just difficult to translate exactly.

Words to loan

However, there is more to untranslatable words than a seemingly uncountable number of ways to describe precipitation. There are some beautiful examples out there that when you read them you will no doubt think ponder why there is no such English alternative. Here are some suggestions for loanwords that we might want to adopt.

Sisu (Finnish) – stoic, determined, brave.

Pochemuchka (Russian) – a person who asks far too many questions.

Fernweh (German) – feeling homesick for a place you have never been.

Saudade (Portuguese) – nostalgia for something that doesn’t exist.

Hyggelig (Danish) – comfortable, contented, intimate.

Abbiocco (Italian) – post-meal sleepiness.

Bakku-shan (Japanese) – a girl who is considered beautiful but only when viewed from behind.

Backpfeifengesicht (German) – a face that is desperately in need of a fist.

Shlimazl (Yiddish) – an incredibly unlucky person.

Gattara (Italian) – an old and lonely woman who devotes her life to her cats

Prozvonit (Czech) – to ring a mobile number just once so that the receiver has to call you back.

Friolero (Spanish) – a person very susceptible to cold weather.

Utepils (Norwegian) – to sit outside on a sunny day enjoying a beer.

Schnapsidee (German) – an ingenious plan come up with whilst drunk.

Fika (Swedish) – gathering together to take a break from the everyday routine.

Pålegg (Norwegian) – everything that can be eaten on a slice of bread.

Tsundoku (Japanese) – leaving a book that you have bought unread, usually piled with other unread books.

Luftmensch (Yiddish) – a person who is a bit of a daydreamer.

Tretår (Swedish) – a second refill of coffee.

Trepverter (Yiddish) – a witty comeback you think of only when the time to use it has already passed.

Translating the untranslatable

Now imagine, if you will, the difficulty faced when translating these words into another language. There are times when an approximate translation is acceptable, but when it isn’t, would you really want to risk causing upset with a client or losing out on a sale because of a language barrier? Why not see what services we have on offer so that you can continue your business in confidence and leave the translation detail to us?

If you think idioms are the sole property of the English language, think again.

The Noble Idiom

From hot potatoes to pieces of cake, using idioms can be somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Argue the toss all you like: idioms are fun. Indulging in a little cherry picking, here are some fine specimens of English idioms.

That is not to say that idioms are only found in the English language. Far from it. In fact, natives of other tongues will likely argue that idioms in English are an amateurish attempt at word play. That is not for us to judge. What makes perfect illogical sense to us is probably incomprehensible gobbledygook to the non-native language learner or an international colleague, and vice versa when we hear the apparently more civilised idiom from afar.

That is the joy of idioms.

Awarding the untranslatable

If there were a competition for ‘most obscure idiom’, some of the most promising contenders would surely hail from Finnish and Hungarian. These Uralic languages are about as far away as you can get from our own Germanic-rooted language whilst retaining the same alphabet. Perhaps that is why their idioms sound so strange to us.

Here are five examples to argue the point:

1. Vuonna miekka muusi ja kypärä. – ‘In the year of mashed potatoes and helmet’.

Meaning: ‘A long time ago’. (Finnish)

2. Ne csinálj szúnyogból elefántot. – ‘Don’t make an elephant out of a mosquito’.

Meaning: The closest English equivalent is ‘Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill’. (Hungarian)

3. Päin honkia. – ‘Against the pines’.

Meaning: Something has gone completely wrong. (Finnish)

4. Tele van a hócipőm. – ‘My snowshoes are full’.

Meaning: ‘I’ve had enough’, ‘I can’t take any more’. (Hungarian)

5. Vintti pimeni. – ‘The attic blacked out’.

Meaning: Someone fainted. (Finnish)

Translating Idioms

This seems like as good a time as any to raise the issue of the virtues of quality translation.

When translating between languages it is crucial that colloquial and idiomatic expressions are understood in both, because if not, imagine the can of worms it could open. Imagine, for example, relying purely on an automated translation of number 4 from above during an intense sales negotiation. Are business deals now to be done on the ski slope rather than the golf course? Is it actually snowing outside? Is this merely questionable taste in office attire? Without correct translation it is up for (mis)interpretation and who knows where that could lead?

***

If you have something important you need translating and don’t want to make a fool out of yourself, why not have a look at the services we provide to avoid any misunderstandings?

The Force is Strong…

Photo via V-kony/Deviant Art

There is an internet rumour/urban legend that goes like this: in Star Wars, Yoda’s unique style of speech was created by first translating his dialogue into Hungarian and then translating it directly back into English, word for word. Hungarian has a very different word order to English and makes use of suffixes rather than prepositions, resulting in ‘Yoda-tongue’ when back-translated.

Whether there is any truth to this is unclear, but what is likely true is that, were the internet available during the writing of the Star Wars script, a whole world of translation tools could have made Yoda’s speech even more grammatically bizarre.

To Translate or not to Translate?

Whether you want to know the meaning of an individual word or need a legal document translated for all sorts of reasons like studying abroad, becoming a citizen of a foreign country, or getting married really dictates where you look for help and what kind of tool you use.

Cost is, naturally, a limiting factor, as is time: the internet has shaped our society into one where the phrase ‘instant gratification’ is no longer a by-word for ‘spoilt brat’, it is something expected by us all: we want it now, and more than this, we want it free. Preferably whilst we’re waiting for our favourite TV show to download and our Instagram photos to upload.

While there is nothing like using the skill of a bilingual speaker to ensure we are saying what we really mean, when an actual on-the-spot translation is unavailable and time is pressing, we find our fingers seeking out the answers online.

Translation Tools: What can they Offer?

There are hundreds of different free online tools out there, but are any of them any good? Is it worth risking that Chinese translation of ‘peace’ coming back as ‘egg fried rice’ and being tattooed on you forever more?

Here is a sample of what is available out there, and how they compare, using a phrase translated into French:

For an approximate translation, all are reasonable. For ease of use, Google Translate and Bing win hands down. IM Translator and Paralink offer multiple translation platforms (notably, Google, Bing and Prompt). In terms of the amount of translatable languages, 101languages provides the most (132 languages) and Reverso comes in last (13), which does actually make you wonder about the quality of the translation work. Google, Bing and Frengly provide automatic language detection, and if you want to translate something a little more ‘exotic’ then look no further than Bing for Klingon and 101languages for Dothraki. You know, if you want.

All offer numerous additional services such as direct translation of websites, imbedded links for your own blogs, dictionaries, and so on. Frengly follows Google and Bing in their sleek and minimalist design, whereas IM Translator feels thrown-together and messy and 101languages is almost encyclopedic in its usefulness, meaning finding the actual translation tool is harder than it needs to be.

Aside from these tools there are hundreds more, specific to individual languages with more dedication to correct translation than being a blanket ‘we translate all’ outfit.

What is Appropriate?

There are pitfalls, of course. Formality, colloquialisms, and a whole world of potential misunderstandings. What is good for Tumblr might not be appropriate for a Powerpoint used in an international conference call between colleagues. When considering which translation tools to use, ultimately it is up to you: how important is accuracy over fluency, perfection over getting-your-point-across without errors?

So, if there is a word on the tip of your tongue that you really want translating now, go on, reach out for one of the many tools out there; what harm can it do?

If, however, you truly want to avoid the night sweats of poor translation shame, there really is only one solution: get the translation done by a professional, bilingual speaker who knows how to prevent you from foot-in-mouth slip-ups. Because it is never, ultimately, about an individual word. Real translation comes from knowing the language inside and out, and what words will get you slap on the back or a slap in the face.

***

If searching for translation services has brought you here, see what we have available to save you from yourself! From document and website translation to interpretation, we have the solutions you need.