Thursday July 17, 2008 at 12:14

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Mamihlapinatapai

whatson:

nostrich:

I was reminded of this word recently (possibly by someone else’s tumblelog, but I don’t recall). It means “a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start” in Yaghan, one of the indigenous languages of Tierre del Fuego. It’s also listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the “most succinct word”. I often find myself jealous of polysynthetic languages like Yaghan and the Inuit languages that have words with such prosaic definitions.

This post was reblogged from What's on Tumblr?.

& Comments (View)
  1. thebloo reblogged this from whatson and added:
    i wish you would just make the first move. anything. i’m too shy and too scared you might not like me.
  2. sps reblogged this from nostrich and added:
    Greatest…”Word”…EVER
  3. inspire-me reblogged this from havealittlefaithinme
  4. seifestattgel reblogged this from kinabalu
  5. emen reblogged this from nostrich
  6. fulpakru reblogged this from nostrich
  7. veektor reblogged this from nostrich
  8. ellens reblogged this from bellevoitceque-deactivated20080 and added:
    there was a word...endearing yet awkward silence at...an...
  9. jhalickman reblogged this from bellevoitceque-deactivated20080
  10. hilker reblogged this from whatson
  11. bianca reblogged this from nostrich
  12. littlesistr reblogged this from bellevoitceque-deactivated20080 and added:
    if only i knew how
  13. llmarcelo reblogged this from nostrich and added:
    one-sided Mamihlapinatapai?
  14. whatson reblogged this from nostrich
  15. hithisisdanielle reblogged this from nostrich
  16. chelynne reblogged this from alilbit and added:
    aww…le*sigh :)
  17. alilbit reblogged this from unicornology
  18. stephjaggs reblogged this from nostrich
  19. ridiculouslyluscious reblogged this from unicornology
  20. unicornology reblogged this from mascarah and added:
    BINGO! this word = story of my life.
  21. shadowfirebird reblogged this from nostrich
  22. erinnicole reblogged this from mascarah and added:
    I love this too. Now to learn how to pronounce it…
  23. insideoutside reblogged this from mascarah
  24. havealittlefaithinme reblogged this from bellevoitceque-deactivated20080
  25. redrightankle reblogged this from nostrich
  26. lezbehonest reblogged this from adeandabet and added:
    this is one of my favorite wikipedia entries of all time
  27. mascarah reblogged this from bellevoitceque-deactivated20080 and added:
    Ummm…. !!! Love this. Good find, Elle!
  28. adeandabet reblogged this from bellevoitceque-deactivated20080 and added:
    Love it. I can think...several occasions where this word would’ve come
  29. abcdefghiloveyou reblogged this from nostrich
  30. brandonmccormick reblogged this from nostrich
  31. dylvez reblogged this from jhnbrssndn
  32. pierreism reblogged this from nostrich
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  34. kinabalu reblogged this from nostrich
  35. jhnbrssndn reblogged this from nostrich and added:
    a lot when it comes...last, tiny fragment...everyone’s too...
  36. nostrich posted this
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