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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

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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
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