The Meaning of Tingo


The Dutch have a useful word, 'natafelen' (translates literally as 'after-tabling'): it means the time following the last course of a dinner, at which the assembled party remains at the table, talking.
"The Meaning of Tingo" does not list this word, but it does list many other untranslatable words in languages from all over the world. As far as I could check, it occasionally gives the wrong spelling or meaning, but this little volume remains a humble homage to the endless diversity of human language.
My personal favorite was "sabaha bi-wajhi", Arabic for "beginning the day by seeing someone's face".

Posted by cronopio at 01:27 PM, May 30, 2006