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From: biep@klipper.UUCP (J. A. "Biep" Durieux)
Newsgroups: net.ai,net.nlang
Subject: Re: natural language deficiencies?
Message-ID: <349@klipper.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Nov-84 05:27:39 EST
Article-I.D.: klipper.349
Posted: Thu Nov  1 05:27:39 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Nov-84 21:52:12 EST
References: <6124@mcvax.UUCP> <1175@dciem.UUCP>
Reply-To: biep@klipper.UUCP (J. A. "Biep" Durieux)
Organization: VU Informatica, Amsterdam
Lines: 40

[]
In article <1175@dciem.UUCP> mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) writes:
>======================
>There is no way, reasonable or not, to render Dutch 'gezellig' into English.
>This is also SURELY a language deficiency.
>======================
>I was under the impression that "gezellig" was close
>to cosy, comfortable, unconstrained and home-like.  Is this anything like?
	I wouldn't say it is "close to" the words you mentioned.
	It often is, but it isn't that. E.g. it can suddenly be
	"gezellig" when one of two people on an inhabitated is-
	land, suddenly reveals a bar of chocolade and shares it
	with his companion. They may be almost starving, but
	they eat it with little bits, and talk about the taste,
	and where, in which shop ("You remember, the old man
	who used to buy lickorice over there?"), one can buy
	the best, etc.
	My English isn't that good, but the whole situation
	doesn't sound like "cosy", or "home-like", or such. The
	Dutch word "gezellig" is derived from the same stem as
	"gezelschap", which means both "the group around you"
	and "the mutual affection within the group". However,
	it has got a special meaning too because of the fact
	that the word is often used with respect to going and
	drinking coffee together at eleven o'clock in the mor-
	ning. (The word "coffee" itself is highly associated
	with "gezellig" too: I don't drink coffee, but nobody
	would invite me "Come, and drink chocolate milk with
	us!", however that is what I actually do. The word
	"coffee" *has* to be mentioned to commumicate the
	idea. The Dutch expression for "Our house stands always
	open for you" is "The coffee is always ready for you".)
-- 

							  Biep.
	{seismo|decvax|philabs}!mcvax!vu44!botter!klipper!biep

I utterly disagree with everything you are saying, but I am
prepared to fight myself to death for your right to say it.
							--Voltaire