I could use a hygge
“Comment ça flip, Jo-Jo?”
Oh I laugh… even though it’s 6:48 a.m., I’m stuffed into a sports bra, and yawning through the warm up. My upbeat fitness pro throws out encouragement to her Bathurst, NB peeps and I giggle.
There are some things we just don’t have the right words for in English.
When I was working through my Philosophy degree (*nerd alert!*), I was struck by the difference in how French philosophers (romantic, emphatic and laissez-faire) and German philosophers (strict, logical and eingeschränkt) expressed their ideas. It felt like the language — its sounds, grammar and structure — shaped the ideas its thinker was able to invent. Or did the ideas, culture and zeitgeist force a certain kind of sound and system to evolve?
I never pursued a PhD to study that chicken & egg question. It’s clear, though, that our native language(s) influences what and how we think.
As we become more global, we have the good fortune of sharing ideas in multicultural communities with multilingual friends. And that’s when we find out there are so many thoughts and feelings we experience, but for whatever reason, never got codified into English.
There are loads, of course, and they’re a delightful way to put sprinkles on the ice cream sundaes of communication: savoir-fare, schadenfreude, paparazzi, wanderlust. We all have our faves.
So, for fun, here are a few things we don’t have words in English for, that I specifically needed this week.
The extra hour we got as the clocks changed to Daylight Savings time (Did it work? Is it saved yet?) felt especially hyggelig. There are whole movements dedicated to infusing more of the Norwegian notion of hygge into our lives — increasing the number of occasions and interactions where we feel completely secure, contented, cozy and at ease. It is for sure hygge season; welcome to my blanket fort.
And yes, I’m one of those people who welcome the onset of seasonal coffees. It gives me an excuse to enjoy sobremesa. In Spain that’s the word for the lovely time at the table after the meal we spend chatting, digesting, and sipping our pumpkin spice lattes.
Last weekend I drove out to the country to have brunch with a friend (extended sobremesa opportunity!). It was a faded jeans, flannel shirt, blundstones kind of day, but no matter how I try, I just don’t dress sprezzatura. Italians have a way of being effortlessly fashionable. They have that sophisticated carelessness, without a hint of awkwardness. Conversely, my wardrobe has the awkwardness sewn right in.
A different friend introduced me to the Greek term, meraki. In fact, meraki fuels her entire branding process. That’s when you pour part of yourself into your work or an activity. The idea that we, literally, flow into our work reminds me of the 2000 film Chocolat, when Juliette Binoche magically infuses hand-made sweets with the residue of her own emotions. I love that movie. Go watch it if you haven’t seen it. Don’t watch it if you’re trying to break a chocolate or Johnny Depp addiction.
And one more: one of my favourites, even though I haven’t figured out how to casually drop it into a conversation. I love the notion of esprit d’escalier. This is a heart-wrenching French term for ‘belated wit’; directly translated it means spirit of the staircase, and it stands for that perfect retort you only think of after you’ve left the party. You know all those occasions when you’ve said goodbye, put on your coat, made your way down the front steps, are standing on the sidewalk, and the perfect comeback pops into your head? Argh! A mere six-porch-steps too late! (Yes, I agree — my boys are “spirited.” More spirit is just what this world needs.)
English is already a mishmash of several languages, and is constantly evolving, which I love. Most people I know speak more than one language, so I get endless opportunities to pick up new terms, ideas, expressions, and maybe even feelings. Plus ça change and all that!
(Exception: Boggle. No fancy stuff. English only, no proper names, no foreign words, no abbreviations, no archaic expressions, no slang and no plurals. We Boggle hard at my place.)
If you know any good, other-language terms, send 'em my way. After chocolate, new words are my favourite treat!