Love Beyond Words

I recently came across a thought provoking composition exploring words from different languages that simply could not be translated into English. It was a list compiled of words that describe relationships. Although most of the words I couldn't even pronounce, I instantly knew the feeling. These words from different parts of the world, different peoples attempt to describe the inexplicable emotions of relationships.

It's beautiful that we try to verbalize what we emote. But isn't there an element melancholy to this linguistic endeavor? 

The barrier of different languages prevents us from sharing the most uniquely human experiences. Although we may try to find equivalents in our languages, there will never be words the are synonymous across languages. Cultures construct the definitions, so to say that love in English implies the same definition as love in Mandarin is impossible.

But language is all about sharing.

And the honest truth is that no language, no matter how romantic, how eloquent or expansive, spoken word can't truly represent an emotion. Although this sounds depressive, it's really not.

Just because we can't verbalize it, doesn't negate it's power. In fact, I argue that since we can't perfectly evoke an emotion in words, that experience is significantly more intense and rare. We're mystified by the inexplicable. Isn't that the reason we seek these feelings; why we pursue relationships? There isn't a language, a vocabulary to express relationships, so we are actually forced by this linguistic barrier to act upon emotions, follow experiences to truly know and share.

 It's beautiful, don't you think?

P.S...See the top ten list here!