[Lexicog] Words that are absent

[CAROLINE REUL]

David,
   
  If you're looking for lexical gaps as well as words/expressions/concepts that just don't translate well, try looking at some online dictionary sites such as:
   
  Leo for German
  http://dict.leo.org/
   
  or WordReference for Romance languages
  http://www.wordreference.com/
   
  and take a look at the forums.  I think you'll find a lot of information there.
   
  Caroline Reul

shenanzhu at yahoo.com wrote:
  Mongolian has no word for 'privacy'... some awkward construction could be conjured up to explain the notion, but there is no single word in the language for the concept.

-Andrew

Wayne Leman <wayne_leman at sil.org> wrote:     The Cheyennes, one of the most well-known of the North American Native American tribes, have no word for "tribe." They simply refer to each tribe, including themselves, by that tribe's name.
   
  Wayne
  -----
Wayne Leman
http://committed.to/fieldtesting
  David,

I work with a highly individualistic group in Panama (also in Colombia). For the most part, foreign ideas such as those we are faced with in translating the Bible can be communicated. But since you are looking for cases where the culture dictates the lack of certain words, I have one. The individualistic Emberas have no word for "group". They have plenty of words for activities that groups do, they differentiate collective and individualized plural number and so on, but no word for "group".

-Chaz MOrtensen
    
---------------------------------
  Blab-away for as little as 1¢/min. Make PC-to-Phone Calls using Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. 

  SPONSORED LINKS 
        Science kits   Science education   Science kit for kid     Cognitive science   Science education supply   My first science kit 
    
---------------------------------
  YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS 

    
    Visit your group "lexicographylist" on the web.
    
    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
 lexicographylist-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com
    
    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. 

    
---------------------------------
  


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lexicography/attachments/20060323/e289d0e4/attachment.htm>