Words the English Language Desperately Needs...

[TomFoolery]

Have you ever stumbled upon a concept that you thought deserved its own word? Or perhaps you speak another language and there is unfortunately no good English approximation?

Like why isn't there a word for wishing you believed in something but you don't?

[GSOgymrat]

Have you ever stumbled upon a concept that you thought deserved its own word?

Sniglets!

http://bertc.com/subfour/truth/sniglets.htm

[Hydra009]

Corniche (French) - a road on the side of a mountain (a wall of earth on one side and a steep drop on the other)

Backpfeifengesicht (German) - a face that's begging to be slapped

Voorpret (Dutch) - enjoyment felt in anticipation of an activity

[hrdlr110]

Pinoque is a scrabble word i made up that means to eat by shoving entire item in your mouth.....no bites! Some things can be pinoqued, some can't.  But there isn't an existing word for it.

[Sal1981]

"úttúr" - Faroese word which means going on an outside trip, it's more of a concept of being outdoorsy or whatever, but is both a verb and a noun.

[Mr.Obvious]

We need a word for that thing where you're coming in from opposite ends and you both try to get out the way by going stepping aside to the same side, only to both step aside to the other side to let the other get past and so on culminating in that awkward laugh at how you both look like uncomfortable idiots.

Oh, and you guys need a word for 'gezelligheid'. Dutch word. It describes an atmosphere of a place which can be likened to cosy, comfortable and familiar even if you haven't ever been there before (or if you have) where you feel at easy and enjoy your surroundings and or the company around you. But not quite just those things.

[Sal1981]

We need a word for that thing where you're coming in from opposite ends and you both try to get out the way by going stepping aside to the same side, only to both step aside to the other side to let the other get past and so on culminating in that awkward laugh at how you both look like uncomfortable idiots.

Oh, and you guys need a word for 'gezelligheid'. Dutch word. It describes an atmosphere of a place which can be likened to cosy, comfortable and familiar even if you haven't ever been there before (or if you have) where you feel at easy and enjoy your surroundings and or the company around you. But not quite just those things.

Sidewalk salsa.

[Shiranu]

Saudade is a brilliant word that I think the English language just cannot do justice.

[TomFoolery]

I was in the car today when Uptown Funk came on and thinking, why isn't there a word to describe the irresistible urge to dance to funky music?

I guess with the right music Christians would call it the Holy Spirit. Fuck that.

[Atheon]

A word distinguishing "we" (but not you) from "we" (including you). Like in Austronesian languages.

[Shiranu]

la douleur exquise... "The pain of loving someone that you know you can never have; by circumstance or subjective decision.".

And then an NPR piece on the beautiful word saudade... it is supposedly a state of mind that perfectly describes the Portuguese/Brasilian culture, and yet I can relate to it painfully well as well...

http://www.npr.org/sections/altlatino/2014/02/28/282552613/saudade-an-untranslatable-undeniably-potent-word

[SoldierofFortune]

English is the richest language in the world according to the amount of words.

A language accumuate vocabulary depending on how much it is written. English is the most written language.

[Baruch]

English is the richest language in the world according to the amount of words.

A language accumuate vocabulary depending on how much it is written. English is the most written language.

True .. but the lacunae of other languages, have gems of other cultures.

Mandarin Chinese and Spanish are competitors to English.  The future lies with Sp-ang-rin ;-)

[aitm]

a word…other than stupid…that would properly convey the inability to conceive a thought or word that has not already been addressed by the english language.

[Baruch]

a word…other than stupid…that would properly convey the inability to conceive a thought or word that has not already been addressed by the english language.

English isn't a proper language ... and Anglo culture isn't a proper culture ... but then I wouldn't expect anglophones to understand that ;-)