These drawings by Emma Block put images to words that can't be translated easily from one language to the next. Many languages use a single word for what another would have to use many to explain.
For instance, the Hebrew word "firgun" can only be described in English as "the simple unselfish joy that something good has happened to someone else." Another example is the Hindi word "viraha," meaning "the realization of love through separation," the corresponding drawing depicting a woman lovingly saying hello or goodbye to a man through the window of a train.
Each of Emma Block's illustrations depict a couple, family or potential love connection and visually shows the meaning of such words from languages like Tagalog, Hindi and Gaelic.
What's Driving This Trend
- Untranslatable Words
- Opportunity to create innovative language-related products or services that bridge the gap between different cultures.
- Cross-cultural Communication
- Opportunity to develop tools and platforms that enhance understanding and empathy between people from different linguistic backgrounds.
- Visual Storytelling
- Opportunity to use illustrations and visual media to convey complex emotions and concepts that are difficult to express in words.
Who This Affects Most
- Language Services
- Opportunity to offer translation and interpretation services that focus on conveying the nuanced meanings and cultural context of untranslatable words.
- Education and Learning
- Opportunity to develop language learning resources and curriculum that emphasize the importance of cultural understanding and appreciation.
- Art and Design
- Opportunity to create artistic works, such as illustrations, paintings, and sculptures, that capture the essence of untranslatable words and promote cross-cultural dialogue.
