“MAMIHLAPINATAPEI” AND “GIGIL”. The authors of the article select two examples of words that most other languages do not have. These are words that illustrate what the authors call “the myriad of concepts residing in other languages”:
“Ever felt the unspoken but mutual desire when looking into a loved one’s eyes? That’s mamihlapinatapei in the Chilean Yagán language. Ever felt the irresistible urge to pinch a baby’s cheek? That’s gigil in Tagalog.”
My first reaction to these words was that they were poor examples because I couldn’t see a use for the words either to describe feelings or to analyze nuances in the emotions described.
Upon reflection, it occurred to me that my reaction may have come because I speak a language that doesn’t have those words.
I was born and grew up entirely in Nigeria but do not speak my language. In my case , although my parents are from same state, they don”t speak the same language and so none of their languages was used at home. To make matters worse, we didn”t live in my home state, so there was no opportunity to even learn from those around. Thankfully, I understand at least one Nigerian language and that”s what I plan to teach my kids. They will learn their father”s language too.