2021
Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
This whimsical book by Ella Frances Sanders is a treasure. Published by Ten Speed Press in 2014, it contains words selected by the author from many languages and cultures, accompanied by engaging definitions and colorful illustrations. Each word was chosen for its unique meaning in the given language and each is hard to translate straightforwardly into other languages, or, at least, into English.
The words you’ll find range from the Norwegian Pålegg—a noun meaning “anything and everything you can put on a slice of bread” by Sanders’ definition, to my favorite, the Welsh Hiraeth which the author explains is “a homesickness for somewhere you cannot return, the nostalgia and the grief for the lost places of your past, places that never were.” We definitely need that word in English! A small volume that packs a punch, order this book from your favorite bookseller and look at the world through a new lens.
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