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18: Translating the untranslatable

Lists  of ‘untranslatable’ words always come with… translations. So what do  people really mean when they say a word is untranslatable?   

In  this episode, your hosts Lauren Gawne and Gretchen McCulloch explore  how how we translate different kinds of meaning. What makes words like  schadenfreude, tsundoku, and hygge so compelling? Which parts of  language are actually the most difficult to translate? What does it say  about English speakers that we have a word for “tricking someone into watching a video of Rick Astley singing Never Gonna Give You Up?”

For the links mentioned in this episode, check out our shownotes page at http://lingthusiasm.com/post/171912276831/lingthusiasm-episode-18-translating-the

18: Translating the untranslatable

Comments

Yay, glad it helped you!

Lingthusiasm

I especially loved the definition of denotation vs. connotation. Connotation is one of those words that I’ve used but only realized about 79% of the meaning to, lol

circumlocutory


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