Hi folks,
As I mentioned on Friday, if this post doesn't already make sense, refer back to that Friday post (and to the prior post referenced within it) before proceeding today.
For the rest of us, let's have a look at remainder of the quarterfinals:
7) Akihi (Hawaiian) – noun, listening to directions and then walking off and promptly forgetting them means you’ve gone ‘akihi’.
6) Trepverter (Yiddish) – noun, a witty riposte or comeback you think of only when it is too late to use – literally, ‘staircase words’.
It's interesting that these two words have the underlying quality of essentially happening after the ending, but that's about it for the similarities.
Akihi is truly a gem of a word, and not just because it sounds good - it also elevates a common forgetfulness to a higher plane, as if the support of a good word is all that was required to describe an ill-fated walk as some kind of special rite of passage. Amusingly, I've noticed this problem on the sidewalks of Boston, and I have a theory - when we need directions, we forget that we have no chance of remembering more than one or two sentences, and end up receiving a lot more information that we can handle. In other words, it's our forgetfulness about our short-term memory that manifests as forgetfulness about a set of directions. When I imagine the mechanics of a person going akihi, I blame an overloaded brain that short-circuited after the third left turn of the explanation. I don't suppose there is a solution to this problem, so when I give directions I usually point in the general direction, offer one or two additional steps, and suggest they ask someone else when they are a little closer to the destination; I'm sure they forget this last part, or give themselves credit for thinking it up on their own a little later.
Trepverter is a little closer to my experience - I'm more commonly rehashing conversations than giving directions, or getting lost - so I nudged it ahead in the ranking. It's an odd concept if you think about it - why do we feel bad hours later, when we've had time to think a little more, and perhaps cool down a hot temper? Trepverter suggests that the best and the worst of us are inseparable - we constantly demand the best in ourselves yet often unreasonably apply the standard; if I think of another clever insight about this word tomorrow, I won't beat myself up over it.
5) Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan) – noun, a silent acknowledgement and understanding between two people, who are both wishing or thinking the same thing (and are both unwilling to initiate).
I did a little side research and was surprised to learn that it's considered one of the most succinct words; I'm sure it scores high, but it does have a lot of letters. I'd think it's possible there is a more succinct 'succinct' word - how about "mom"? I don't know why anyone bothers ranking words, all you get is trouble.
Anyway, I think this word has an obvious angle of romance, and partnership more generally, that makes it instantly relatable across a wide range of people despite the vast differences we have with each other. But in these days of COVID, I'm also seeing this word playing out with the same drama on a much smaller yet less intimate stage. How many times do I approach someone on narrow sidewalk, with each of us starting those little missteps and wobbles from many strides away, as the moment of evasion approaches without a clear indication of whose foot is headed for the gutter? There are many large problems that seem knotted forever in a tangle of competing priorities and interests, but I suspect the reality is far simpler; we all know what must be done - whether it be as one individual, one country, or one human race - but we remain unwilling to initiate.
Semifinals
Down to a final four - here's what we have left:
Hiraeth (Welsh)
Iktsuarpok (Inuit)
Komorebi (Japanese)
Warmduscher (German)
Back in a few days with the next round - thanks for reading.
