There was a time when there were thousands of different languages spoken all around the world, and it was extremely difficult to communicate with people of different communities. Then English came and changed the world. Now people all around the world speak English, and the language has made it much easier to communicate with people of different communities. Even though there are still thousands of languages spoken around the globe, English is the most common one. Unlike in the past, people face fewer difficulties talking to other people from different countries. It’s interesting to note, however, that even the English language has different variational influences from all around the world.

Different varieties of English around the Globe

There are roughly 30 varieties of English spoken from around the world, being:

Irish
Babu
Banglish
British
Canadian
Pakistani
Philippine
Spanglish
Standard American
Standard English
Taglish
Hinglish
Indian
African American Vernacular English
New Zealand
Euro-English
South African
Standard American
Standard British
Zimbabwean
Welsh
Australian
Chinese
Caribbean
Nonstandard English
Scottish
Singapore
Nigerian
Chicano
American

English is a very beautiful language and has borrowed over 350 words from other languages. However, some words from other languages should also be included in the English language. Here is a fun fact for you, most English words has a Latin and/or Greek origin. Let’s look at 18 words from other languages that deserve a place in the English vocabulary.

Ghanaian word: Pelinti

Have you ever bit into a smoking hot barbeque and almost burnt your mouth off? Well, this happens to everyone, and the Ghanaian word Pelinti describes it the best. The technical meaning of the word Pelinti is “to move hot food around in your mouth”. The mistake of taking a bite of a hot burger is a very common one. However, there is no specific word in the English vocabulary to express this feeling. Whenever this happens to English speakers, they say that they “burned their mouth”. But trust me, a real ‘burned’ mouth is much more painful (and grotesque looking).

Georgian word: Shemomedjamo

Sometimes the food is just too good, and we tend to overeat. This happens to everyone; you will understand it better as an example. Just imagine, your mom made your favorite dish for dinner, and you are super hungry, after eating two plates of that dish you feel full. However, the dish is just too good to leave, and you eat one more plate just for the sake of the taste.

This scenario is best explained by the Georgian word Shemomedjamo. The real meaning of this hard-to-pronounce word is “I accidentally ate the whole thing”. Just like the previous word, this one is also related to food. You might find it difficult to pronounce this word, just keep in mind that the ‘J’ is silent in this word.

3) Indonesian word: Mencolek

The meaning of the not-so-popular word Mencolek is “to tap someone’s shoulder from behind”. It also means pinching.

4) Ulwa word: Yuputka

The literal meaning of the mysterious word Yuputka is “the phantom sensation of something crawling on your skin”.

5) German word: Kummerspeck

Some people tend to overeat after a harsh breakup. The German dictionary describes this situation in one word Kummerspeck. The official meaning of Kummerspeck is “excess weight gained from emotional overeating”. Overall, any sort of emotional instability can cause overeating.

6) Inuit word: Iktsuarpok

Iktsuarpok means “the anticipation while waiting for someone’s arrival and going outside to check for him or her”. The amazing thing is that dogs also experience such a feeling in the absence of their owner.

7) Danish word: Kaelling

The famous Danish word Kaelling has two meanings, one of which is vulgar, so I will tell you only the good one that is “an old woman”. This word is not used much, but because it has two meanings, this word is mostly used by pranksters.

8) Tibetan word: Gadrii Nombor Shulen Jongu

The Tibetan phrase Gadrii Nombor Shulen Jongu means, “Giving an answer that is not related to the question asked”.

9) Finnish word: Pilkunnussija

The meaning of the Finnish word Pilkunnussija is “A person who point out the punctuation and spelling mistakes at the cost of self-esteem”. If you have ever watched the world-famous sitcom Friends, then you can relate the word Pilkunnussija by thinking of Ross Geller.

10) Persian word: Zhaghzhagh

The meaning of the beautiful Persian word Zhaghzhagh is “the chattering of teeth experienced due to cold or anger”. The pronunciation of this word is easy, and this feeling is experienced mostly in winters or after a fight.

11) Tagalog word: Layogenic

Layogenic is defined as “a person who looks good from a distance but not up close”.

12) French word: Seigneur-terraces

This French word Seigneur-terraces defines those café customers who spend a lot of time at tables and don’t spend a lot of money.

References:

Get Literary With These Quotes About the English Language
More Words We Need in English
Two Georgian words the English language desperately needs
What does “Zhaghzhagh” mean?
Kummerspeck
Iktsuarpok
Kælling
Pelinti

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