Understanding the mystery of the world, one word at a time
There’s a beautiful theory that suggests that people who speak different languages may experience the world in unique ways because their language influences their thoughts
Learning fancy words has been my most prolonged hobby till date.
As a kid, I was drawn to synonyms of regular words. I loved uttering "perhaps" instead of "maybe". It has always been "eggplant" not 'brinjal'.
Life was simple, and my vocabulary was limited to flowers, foods and objects.
As I grew up, I started learning words for feelings, emotions and other intangibles.
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Words like melancholy, agony, grief, rage and so on.
The 12-year-old girl could not possibly remember a heavy word like melancholy because, in her small binary world, it was either sadness or happiness; never melancholy.
Agony was far more unrelatable and, hence far more forgettable.
When I got into college, I discovered a new word– "exulansis". By definition, it means the tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it.
The moment I found this word, I noted it down in my phone because I knew I would forget it. And, why not?
Why would a 17-year-old all-dreamy girl even encounter this word, let alone know it by its meaning? More importantly, why does a word have to be so complex to remember?
Many years have passed and now I can remember this word effortlessly.
I am guessing, I am accustomed to the feeling too. Seems like, the sophistication of the words comes with the complexity of the feeling they are referring to.
Then, a few years back, I learnt the word "Ailyak".
It is a Bulgarian word that means the subtle art of doing things with peace and calm – without the society rushing you, slowing down and soaking in the journey of life.
Fascinating, isn't it? Looks like every feeling or phenomenon in the world has a corresponding word, often tucked away in some remote corner of the globe or buried within an obscure language. You just have to look for it.
If I did not know this word, perhaps I would have always called this feeling "procrastination" which has a negative feel to it.
But, now I know that slowing down could be an art and I do not curse myself for slowing down anymore.
The idea that our language shapes our thoughts and perceptions is known as linguistic relativity.
This beautiful theory also suggests that people who speak different languages may experience the world in unique ways because their language influences their thoughts.
In the book 1984, George Orwell mentioned the influence of words on human life. How language dictates our actions. The form of language shapes how we can express ourselves, and how we can express ourselves shapes how and what we think. He said, you can never really "protest" if the word "protest" never actually existed in your dictionary.
Again, the power of words.
If this is what it is, I wish I never learned the words "exulansis" or "agony" or "melancholy". I wish my vocabulary was a bottomless jar of words like "peace", "composure", "balance", "rapture", "love" and "love".
