Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!mmt From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) Newsgroups: net.ai,net.nlang Subject: Re: natural language deficiencies? Message-ID: <1175@dciem.UUCP> Date: Sun, 28-Oct-84 14:21:43 EST Article-I.D.: dciem.1175 Posted: Sun Oct 28 14:21:43 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 28-Oct-84 21:19:38 EST References: <6124@mcvax.UUCP> Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada Lines: 20 ====================== There is no way, reasonable or not, to render Dutch 'gezellig' into English. This is also SURELY a language deficiency. (Since there's no way to render the word into English, I'm afraid I can't explain to non-Dutch speakers what it means, except to say that it's an adjective describing social situations, and is desirable.) ====================== Why is there *no* way? Do you mean to imply that English-speakers cannot experience this social situation, or just that it would take a complex phrase or paragraph to get the idea across. If the former, then there must be more difference between the Dutch culture and all English-speaking ones than I have observed. If the latter, then why not try and see where you get. I was under the impression that "gezellig" was close to cosy, comfortable, unconstrained and home-like. Is this anything like? -- Martin Taylor {allegra,linus,ihnp4,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt {uw-beaver,qucis,watmath}!utcsrgv!dciem!mmt