Foreign words that don't have direct translation into English

Lucca

Marydoll

There is a Scottish word scunnered, which doesn't quite translate into English. It however, sums up a feeling of being extremely fed up. In fact it describes my mood very accurately today.

Is that because it’s a dreech day ? Ex Is Scottish and I picked up some useful words from him like describing someone as “fushionless “

'Dreich' is a great wee word. It's very useful in England as well as being perfectly descriptive of a Glasgow day like yesterday. At least Glasgow gets straight to the point.

Have we had “wabbit “ (to rhyme with rabbit)?
It means a bit fragile, pale, peely wally even, lacking in energy when your get up and go, got up and went.

kittylester

There is no equivalent to the French word 'chez', which is useful, as is your suggestion of 'sympathique', grandMattie

Vampire, I am 'frum' the East Midlands as are a few other people on the forum.

There are some lovely ones here

There is no English equivalent to the French "^sympathique^".

Marydoll, all over Scotland, 'am fair scunnered the day' fits just perfectly.

It does have an entry in the Scot's Language dictionary.
It's roots are actually, Germanic I think. So it's a foreign word.

There's a word which I've only heard in Nottingham, I've never seen it written down but it sounds like, "A-were" - the last part as in 'they were' is heavily stressed.

It expresses astonishment/disbelief if you hear something nonsensical, such as, "I'm going to paint my face bright blue" or "there's going to be a football match on the moon" or whatever. The response might be, "What? A-were!"

Is it a dialect word if it is used all over Scotland and not just one area, Phoenix?
Just asking.

Ah but is there a difference between foreign words, and dialect words? Where is the line drawn?

Sorry that you have been scunnered today Marydoll. I hope the feeling has passed although the dreich weather hasn’t. The rain has turned to a smirr now which is a word that I am struggling to explain.

Hiraeth which is a Welsh word that means more than just a longing or homesickness.

Fennel, No....I had nor read the Joys of Yiddish, but have now ordered the updated version.
My Dad did speak Yiddish, but refused ever to do so calling it the language of the Ghetto. My Mother, nor any of her very English Jewish family, never did, but some words just became part of the vocabulary. Some I would not ever now repeat, but different times, different attitudes.

It's pretty dreich here today too, Marydoll, which doesn't help when you're feeling scunnered. Hope you feel better soon.

Guddle is how I would describe my house at the moment, with stuff lying about in the middle of being sorted out but not quite getting there.

Simpatico - an Italian word for someone who is likeable and easy to get along with.

Lucca, it certainly is dreich, but it's more Weltschmerze.

Parsley I wasn't familiar with bourach, but it's very appropriate to describe my experience of GN just now.

I have a fondness for Yiddish words as well.

Meshugana and Chutzpah (bare faced cheek!) being two of my favourites.

I was writing a shirt story today to be translated into Italian (intermediate level).

I wanted to say she dropped the grapes, he fielded them.

In English it gave me the picture I wanted but what would fielding mean to an Italian?

Schadenfreude - pleasure in someone else’s misfortune.

Franbern....you're right about the accurate definition but it's also used colloquially in a more affectionate way for people like me

Marydoll if you feel like that then today you can be a “pantofolaio”. Stay in wear your slippers (pantofole)and laze around

Marydoll

There is a Scottish word scunnered, which doesn't quite translate into English. It however, sums up a feeling of being extremely fed up. In fact it describes my mood very accurately today.

Is that because it’s a dreech day ? Ex Is Scottish and I picked up some useful words from him like describing someone as “fushionless “

Franbern - I was going to mention other yiddish words too.
Have you read 'The Joys of Yiddish' by Leo Rosten?
Not that I can speak yiddish, but I've read about it.
My favourite is nochschlepper - tagger on. Like us.