My not-so-secret thoughts on words

Dear linguists,

The English language contains roughly 1 million words, compared to the 5.3 million words that German contains and the over 12 million words that Arabic has. Other than meaning that we have resorted to creating countless slang words over the years to spice up our daily jargon, (including rizz, delulu, cringe, and the list continues) we have also had to resort to utilizing limiting words when describing a broad spectrum of emotions. 

Our limited vernacular fails to include the small, ultraspecific feelings that we can’t quite name and therefore, never fully validate for what they are. There are many new and strong emotions that we experience in high school that I believe should be stated; not undervalued by vague verbiage nor exaggerated with unfit vocabulary. For example, the German word torschlusspanik describes the feeling of getting older and feeling like your time is running out, like opportunities are ending or doors are closing. With each passing year in high school and each college rejection, I’m sure many have felt this panic or a feeling of impending doom, which is really just us adjusting to the shift away from childhood comforts and coddling. Another German word, Sehnsucht describes a yearning and desire; it represents all of the emotions that exist in all the branches of life that are imperfect or incomplete. I have certainly felt this in high school; not quite reaching freedom but learning to be more independent and beginning to dream largely about life. High school is also a time when we go through difficult moments and hardships. Rather than claim our experiences to be “traumatizing,” we can think of the Arabic word, Mad’ouk, which means toughened or well-worked by life. Naming these niche emotions is the first step to normalizing them as well as viewing them in a more positive way. 

When it comes to the new relationships we make in high school, in English, we only have love or adoration, but what kind of adoration? What kind of love? We give out this compliment so easily to secure a bond with another individual, even if it is given away loosely. “I love you,” or “I adore you,” but how could one possibly love someone you just met? Because there is no better way to describe your affection. But you would not say عشق (išq) to a casual friend, in Arabic, because it means love in the purest form. It describes the love two people who have spent their whole lives together feel; an unconditional affection. This is certainly not a word we would use in these four years.

I believe we should be more intentional with our vernacular. Our limited vocabulary has also led us to claim that every sideways event can be classified as “traumatic,” and every time someone is rude, they’re “toxic.” As we grow older, it is important to mature our language and be intentional about what we are saying to others. It is easy to forget the impact of words, but words are power. Why else did everyone call Voldemort “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”? And why else couldn’t Percy Jackson call the gods by name? Outside of fantasy, real life proves its power. It is why people recite poetry, cry over books, and remember speeches for years, and why some words are simply not okay to use. So we understand their power, yet we so willingly utilize them carelessly because we have no better replacements or we use them to simply create a dramatic effect. With each new experience, I hope you are able to claim, if not with an English word then with another language, and if foreign words fail you, then with your own invention, so you feel satiated with your language and affirmed in your emotions.

Liebe,

Natalie