words that don't exist in English

[Martin Kaminer]

Vaguely related, from another list:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ronald Kephart <ronkephart at comcast.net>
Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 9:23 PM
Subject: Re: your favorite words from disappearing languages
To: LINGANTH at listserv.linguistlist.org

Jenn,

One of my favorite words also comes from Aymara:

Aruskipasipxañ**anakasakipunirakispäwa.

'I know from personal knowledge that it's desirable that we all working
together make the effort to communicate with one another.'

Ron


On 2/4/12 12:11 AM, Jenn Wheeler wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm working on a little multimedia project with disappearing
> languages&  art. I was hoping you would like to help me out and let me
> know
> your favorite word(s) from a disappearing language OR from a native
> language, from any location in the world. *If you're able to provide me
> with just the word, and the language* I can do the extra work to find out
> where it is spoken&  how many speakers are still active. (Disappearing
> languages of course might have one or millions of speakers currently, but
> if no one is learning the language in new generations it would be
> considered disappearing...)
>
> An an example:
> Aymara: *nayra* (spoken mostly throughout Bolivia and Peru)
>         When an Aymaran speaker is discussing the past, their hand gestures
> refer to the past as being infront of them and the future as behind them
> (the opposite to how we might conventionally understand our placement of
> time). To the Aymara, the word for past, nayra, is also the word for eye.
> The past is therefore referred to being infront of you because you have
> seen it. The future, behind us, is unknown, as it is visually inaccessible.
>
> Also very open to any links or articles you might like to share. I will be
> happy to share the results of the art project with anyone who is
> interested.
> Questions welcome&  thank you!
>
> Warm regards,
> Jennifer

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