🌍 Language & Etymology
Saudade and the Words We Cannot Translate
Portuguese and other languages
Epigram Literary Guild@epigram_editorial•2 min read
A Longing With No English Word1 / 3
Saudade is a Portuguese word for a deep, often bittersweet longing for something or someone absent, sometimes for something that may never return. It is central to Portuguese song and poetry.
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Some feelings become clearer the moment someone gives them a name.
Untranslatable, Not Unthinkable2 / 3
Calling a word untranslatable does not mean others cannot feel it. It means no single word captures the same mix of meanings and associations. Translators reach for phrases instead.
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Lack of a word is not lack of a feeling.
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