Language is so much more than a tool or way to communicate. The language we learn from an early age dictates how we will see the world around us, how we experience human emotions, and how we express them to others. The New Yorker’s article - How Much Does Our Language Shape Our Thinking? is a must-read. Also, Arrival, a 2016 sci-fi film, explores this idea so well that you really start to think: are we bounded by the language we speak?
A list of phrases/words that I personally think convey this idea the best:
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For addressing an audience in Hindi we say देवियों और सज्जनो which literally translates to Goddesses and Gentlemen; not the typical “Ladies and Gentlemen”
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In Gujarati when you miss someone you say મને તારી યાદ આવે છે read as “Mane tari yaad aave che” - meaning Your memories are coming to me.
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The word for missing someone and remembering someone in Vietnamese is same: nhớ
so Anh nhớ em means I miss you / I remember you at the same time. Remembering someone is no different than missing them.
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In Hindi, the word नियति (destiny) originates from the word नियत (intent).
Although, if you look closely, the origin of former is sanskrit and that of later is Persian.
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In Urdu, to say someone has gone missing we use لاپتہ (laapata); meaning the person simply didn’t just disappear but even their whereabouts have vanished; as to say he didn’t just go missing but he went without having an address.
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In Hindi, another word for companion or partner is हमसफ़र - someone who travels the same journey as you.
Would love to expand this list so please send me any words/phrases that you think will fit here well via Contact