3 ms·

I do not agree, e.g. the verb "flâner" in French can be translated in "to wander around" but this translation does not convey the pleasure of the person loiteri

I do not agree, e.g. the verb "flâner" in French can be translated in "to wander around" but this translation does not convey the pleasure of the person loitering in the streets (something induced by "flâner"). I already tried to translate it in some situations but there is nothing perfect, "taking a walk" is similar but it induces a physical activity whereas "flâner" only means enjoying your time outside, thinking loosely while walking and watching what's around you. And as you can see after these two long sentences, the lack of a word to describe extensively this experience makes it quite absurd for non-French speakers. Words are such a great way to describe our environment thus I agree with the author that "our world is parsed by the limits of our vocabulary".

nitrogen 10y ago
We can always express the same ideas by using adverbs to modify verbs.
pbhjpbhj 10y ago
Doesn't the person using the word flâner suffer just as much as someone using a language that doesn't have that word? If I'm sauntering, enjoying a constitutional, taking some air, or what have you then perhaps these are the things that the French person is trying to express but flâner is the closest that comes to mind [sorry, perhaps ironically, my French is not good enough to realise this analogy precisely]. Somewhat aside to the main point: >the lack of a word to describe extensively this experience makes it quite absurd for non-French speakers // In the past, and I'm struggling for an example, people have said things like there's no word for "such-and-such" in English and it's simply been that they don't know that word. This makes it still a limit of vocabulary but not a limit of the particular language: why isn't there a word in English for "bottom shaped", well of course there is, just most people don't know it.
has2k1 10y ago
Maybe the word "traipse" is a better fit.

nitrogen 10y ago

We can always express the same ideas by using adverbs to modify verbs.

pbhjpbhj 10y ago

Doesn't the person using the word flâner suffer just as much as someone using a language that doesn't have that word? If I'm sauntering, enjoying a constitutional, taking some air, or what have you then perhaps these are the things that the French person is trying to express but flâner is the closest that comes to mind [sorry, perhaps ironically, my French is not good enough to realise this analogy precisely]. Somewhat aside to the main point: >the lack of a word to describe extensively this experience makes it quite absurd for non-French speakers // In the past, and I'm struggling for an example, people have said things like there's no word for "such-and-such" in English and it's simply been that they don't know that word. This makes it still a limit of vocabulary but not a limit of the particular language: why isn't there a word in English for "bottom shaped", well of course there is, just most people don't know it.

has2k1 10y ago

Maybe the word "traipse" is a better fit.