UNIQUE WORDS AND THE CULTURAL CONCEPTS BEHIND THEM: DISCOVERING THE WORLD THROUGH LANGUAGE
UNIQUE WORDS AND THE CULTURAL CONCEPTS BEHIND THEM: DISCOVERING THE WORLD THROUGH LANGUAGE

Summary/Abstract: Words are realizations of the utterly human ability to produce and use language and they describe the material and immaterial reality around us. In a reverse way, words can also act as forerunners of thought, in the sense that they elicit the inception of an idea, a mental image, or an innovative concept. There are words that cannot be easily defined or translated from one language into another, as they signify concepts that are unknown or unfamiliar to individuals from a different culture. Such untranslatable words reflect the cultural identity, particular perspectives, social norms and value systems of certain communities and they convey intimate knowledge to those who uncover their meaning. This paper analyzes several unique words from different languages: Feierabend (German), sobremesa (Spanish), dor (Romanian), saudade (Portuguese), cuscri (Romanian), consuegros (Spanish), cumǎtru (Romanian) and compadre (Spanish), in an attempt to illustrate the facet of language as a precursor and conveyer of conceptual knowledge.

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