Issue 12, untranslatable words

Isn’t it fascinating how humans have taken sounds and shapes and turned them into language—our most powerful tool for connection? Language is a testament to human creativity. Yet, even with thousands of languages, some ideas are so unique, they struggle to capture the full breadth of the human experience. That’s where untranslatable words come in. And that's what we're celebrating this week.

"The history of a culture can be defined by its untranslatable words."

Salman Rushdie, novelist

Take a linguistic trip around the globe with the Plum Guide. Discover words from different cultures that perfectly encapsulate those 'you just had to be there' moments.

"Feelings or emotions are the universal language and are to be honored. They are the authentic expression of who you are at your deepest place."

Judith Wright, poet

Maybe you’ve watched a thunderstorm roll in and felt a primal hunger for disaster, hoping it would shake up your life. That’s called 'lachesism'. Or you were looking through old photos and felt a pang of nostalgia for a time you’ve never actually experienced. That’s 'anemoia'. If you’ve never heard of these terms before, that’s because they didn’t exist until John Koenig began his epic quest to fill the gaps in the language of emotion. Check out The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows here.

"As a tool, it's a fantastic improvisation game to free the brain because you do not have to use logic."

Deborah May, filmmaker

What if you could express everything without using actual words? Gromalot is the Renaissance-era practice that turns sounds into a universal language. It’s all about conveying emotions and ideas with gibberish—but deliberate gibberish. It's a masterclass in creative expression, showing us that sometimes, you don’t need words to be understood.

Alter. Untranslatable words

Now it's time to create your own. Your challenge this week is to invent a word for an emotion, experience, or moment that doesn’t quite fit into the English language. Who knows, maybe it'll catch on.

practice

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