Re: antonyms: regretful & tasty

This reminds me of the time when I was transcribing a Shoshoni word
list. My wife was helping me, and she came across a word for a very
specific cultural item and asked, "You mean they have a word for
something like that?" I just replied, "finial." She got the point.

Dirk

On Friday, May 9, 2003, at 11:14  AM, John Cowan wrote:

> Garrett Jones scripsit:
>
>> it's interesting to hear of words that english doesn't have good
>> translations for.
>
> Howard Rheingold's _They Have A Word For It_ is an idiosyncratic
> collection
> of such words, and is now back in print.  Some of my favorites:
>
> hakamaro'o (Pascuan) borrowing things with no intention of returning
> them,
>         as an act of malice
>
> Korinthenkacker (German) lit. someone who craps currants, a nit-picker
>
> Schlimmbesserung (German) an improvement that doesn't improve anything,
>         if indeed it doesn't make things worse
>
> orenda (Iroquoian) the power of focussed will
>
> wabi (Japanese) a flaw that makes something authentic
>
> rojong (Indonesian) mutual cooperation
>
> mokita (Kiriwina) truths that must not be spoken for social reasons
>
> biga peula (I forget) lit. hard words, something that cannot be
> recalled
>         once said and brings social disaster
>
> biritilulu (Kiriwina) resolving disputes by comparing one's yams (yes,
> yams)
>
> aware (Japanese) the feeling one gets from perceiving the beauty of
> the ephemeral
>
> --
> John Cowan  jcowan@reutershealth.com  www.reutershealth.com
> ccil.org/~cowan
> Dievas dave dantis; Dievas duos duonos          --Lithuanian proverb
> Deus dedit dentes; deus dabit panem             --Latin version thereof
> Deity donated dentition;
>   deity'll donate doughnuts                     --English version by
> Muke Tever
> God gave gums; God'll give granary              --Version by Mat
> McVeagh
>
>
--
Dirk Elzinga
Dirk_Elzinga@byu.edu

"I believe that phonology is superior to music. It is more variable and
its pecuniary possibilities are far greater." - Erik Satie

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