Absolutely correct (also on the ‘IKEA furniture’ comment).
And as I was reading the other day, the whole ‘sambo’ concept is being taken even further. We now have särbo (särkilda+bo), which is when a couple is going out but not living together. There’s also delsbo (deltid+bo), when a couple shares a home at times, but not always. And the most embarassing of all: mambo (mamma+bo), which is when a grown person lives with his/her parents.
Seriously, when it comes to specific relationship terms, Swedish is just unbeatable.
Hmm. Sounds like a challenge. According to wikipedia that ‘oo’ sound exists in Swedish and in Eastern Andalusian Spanish. So I should definitely be able to pull it off
Everyone always says that saudade in Portuguese is one of these words (it’s even mentioned in post #2).
I agree that it doesn’t map to an English word directly, but one uses it in the same way that we would say “I miss my youthful college days” or “I miss you”
(estou com saudades de você).
Brazilians allude to some deeper meaning in the word, but I just don’t get it.
Now, tell me how to say “to take for granted” in Portuguese and I’ll be happy.
Indonesian has two words for “we”. One, “kita”, includes the listener, and “kami” excludes the listener. So, if a mother tells her child “Kami pergi …”, it means that the mother (and one or more other people) are going out, but that the child is staying home.
Similarly with Pidgin English, used widely in Papua New Guinea and thereabouts. Pidgin has for the former, “yumi” [you/me, plus perhaps other people], and for the latter “mipela” [me and the other fellow{s}]. So in this respect, Pidgin is more precise than standard English.
English has also lost the distinction between “yea” (agreeing with a positive question) and “yes” (disagreeing with a negative question), which exists in many other languages (French oui and si, for example).
And this one everyone knows, English has lost the distinction between “thou” (singular) and “you” (plural) that many other language have, as well as distinctions in levels of formality.
Bengali (like other South Asian languages) has three levels of formality in the second person and also keeps the singular/plural distinction.
It also keeps two levels of this distinction in the third person. It doesn’t distinguish by gender (he/she/it), but it does distinguish by proximity (here, there, yonder).
Bengali has a fantastic range of specific terms for relatives (in addition to these it has more formal and less formal terms too, and there is also some variation for Muslim families):
Sister’s husband: Jamaibabu
Husband’s elder brother: Bhashur
Husband’s younger brother: Deyor
Husband’s sister’s husband: Dadababu
Wife’s brother: Shala (also used as a common term of abuse, equivalent to “bastard” or “asshole”)
Wife’s sister’s husband: Bhairabhai
Father’s elder brother’s son who is your elder: Jethuto-dada
Father’s elder brother’s son who is your junior: Jethuto-bhai
Father’s elder brother’s daughter who is your elder: Jethuto-didi
Father’s elder brother’s daughter who is your junior: Jethuto-bon
Father’s younger brother’s son who is your elder: Khurtuto-dada
Father’s younger brother’s son who is your junior: Khurtuto-bhai
Father’s younger brother’s daughter who is your elder: Khurtuto-didi
Father’s younger brother’s daughter who is your junior: Khurtuto-bon
Father’s sister’s son who is your elder: Pistuto-dada
Father’s sister’s son who is your junior: Pistuto-bhai
Father’s sister’s daughter who is your elder: Pistuto-didi
Father’s sister’s daughter who is your junior: Pistuto-bon
Mother’s brother’s son who is your elder: Mamato-dada
Mother’s brother’s son who is your junior: Mamato-bhai
Mother’s brother’s daughter who is your elder: Mamato-didi
Mother’s brother’s daughter who is your junior: Mamato-bon
Mother’s sister’s son who is your elder: Mastuto-dada
Mother’s sister’s son who is your junior: Mastuto-bhai
Mother’s sister’s daughter who is your elder: Mastuto-didi
Mother’s sister’s daughter who is your junior: Mastuto-bon
I just want to mention that I always feel bad for y’all. That is, the non-standard plural second-person pronoun, not all you guys (well, sometimes … but anyway). Here the language is trying to bring back a useful distinction that should obviously be there, and the lack of which is just weird, and make more sense, and what does it get? “Non-standard! Vernacular! We can’t have that!” Seriously, y’all needs a massive break.
Also dar (algo) por sentado (consider (something) settled without having spoken about it) and the very impolite situation of tomar (a alguien) por el pito del sereno (to treat (someone) as if s/he was the night watchman’s whistle; to take (someone) for granted). And if you’re being treated like the night watchman’s whistle, you’re in a situation of encima de puta, pagar la cama: being treated as a whore and expected to pay for the bed.
… but anyway). Here the language is trying to bring back a useful distinction that should obviously be there, and the lack of which is just weird, and make more sense, and what does it get? “Non-standard! Vernacular! We can’t have that!” Seriously, y’all needs a massive break.