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June 24, 2004

The most untranslatable word in the world

Scholars and professional translators have determined that "ilunga" -- a word in the 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 -- is the "most untranslatable word in the world. "Shlimazl", a Yiddish word for a chronically unlucky person, and "radioukacz", a Polish word for a person who worked as a telegraphist for the resistance movements on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain, ran a close second and third. The most untranslatable word in the English language was voted to be "plenipotentiary", which means a special ambassador or envoy, invested with full powers.   

The full story on the linguistic survey is available online at Today Translations, but a rundown of the top ten for both English and non-English untranslatable words is below. Personally, I'd say some of the words look easy enough to translate -- but perhaps that just because of something that's been lost in the translation.


The ten foreign words voted hardest to translate


1. Ilunga [Tshiluba word 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. Note: Tshiluba is a Bantu language spoken in south-eastern Congo, and Zaire]

2. Shlimazl [Yiddish for a chronically unlucky person]

3. Radioukacz [Polish for a person who worked as a telegraphist for the resistance movements on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain]

4. Naa [Japanese word only used in the Kansai area of Japan, to emphasise statements or agree with someone]

5. Altahmam  [Arabic for a kind of deep sadness]

6. Gezellig [Dutch for cosy]

7. Saudade [Portuguese for a certain type of longing]

8. Selathirupavar  [Tamil for a certain type of truancy]

9. Pochemuchka [Russian for a person who asks a lot of questions]

10. Klloshar [Albanian for loser]


The ten English words voted hardest to translate

1. Plenipotentiary               

2. Gobbledegook                

3. Serendipity                                   

4. Poppycock                                  

5. Googly                               

6. Spam                                   

7. Whimsy                             

8. Bumf                                    

9. Chuffed

10. Kitsch

Posted by Rolf on June 24, 2004 08:40 AM
Comments

Kitsch as an untranslatable word doesn't qualify, in my opinion, because it's taken straight from German with the same meaning.

Therefore, a German-speaker wouldn't need a translation, so it is NOT untranslatable.

Posted by: Mary on June 30, 2004 09:03 PM

Interesting list.
Here are some considerations, and two of the words are not in most common English dictionaries:

The ten (!) english words that were voted hardest to translate

plenipotentiary = A diplomat who is fully authorized to represent his or
her government.
gobbledegook = language characterized by circumlocution and jargon, usually
hard to understand
serendipity = Pure luck in discovering things you were not looking for.
poppycock = Senseless talk; "don't give me that stuff". First used 1865
googly = A cricket ball bowled as if to break one way that actually breaks
in the opposite way
Spam = (trademark) a tinned luncheon meat made largely from pork. Also
from "Monty Python's Flying Circus"] To crash a program
whimsy = The trait of acting more from whim or caprice than from reason or
judgment.
bumf =
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/english/bu/bumf.html
chuffe =
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/english/ch/chuffe.html

Regards, George

Posted by: George on August 2, 2004 04:10 PM
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