The useless foreign words thread!

[KCDem]

Time for us all to get edumacated! Post a word from any language (not English), how to pronounce it, and its definition.

Here's my contribution:

Nishtyak. Russian. Pronounced "neesh-TYAK". definition: the area of the body between the privates and the anal sphyncter. AKA, the 'taint.

[Deja Q]

1. I know of two:

Puto (Pronounced "poot-oh". Spanish for "bitch", in the masculine ("puta" being feminine). Franz Sanchez said that once in a fit of pique...)

Caca (Pronounced rather like "caw-caw!" like how a crow caws but pronounced as a word and not a noise to attract the attention of other crows. again, Spanish. Meaning "feces". I rather like the Spanish version, it doesn't sound so gross... And it's easy to mix up with "cuckoo", like how Peter Griffin once did...)

[44wax]

12. Vato

It is it not a gang banger. Just a cool dude from the hood in the valley.

[Deja Q]

2. US Word: Perennium

:D

[KCDem]

3. Perineum, you mean.

Yeah, I know there's a technical term and all... it's just that the Russian term is so much more beautiful because it's naughty. :spank:

[unblock]

4. er, make that perineum

damn, ya beat me to it, kc.

the spelling that is, not the perineum itself.... :think:

[KCDem]

6. excuse me,

I'm having a fulfilling IM discussion here AND nursing a drink, do you mind being so damned picky?

:hi:

[unblock]

7. i don't mind at all,

i can be so damned picky alllll night!

[Catshrink]

5. Peto vs. scorreggio

Italian....

fare un peto means to break wind.


scorreggiare means to fart.

[KCDem]

8. pronuciation?

Italian and french pronuciations elude me. is it "scorregiaARRR-ey"?

[Catshrink]

9. scorrrr-A-gee-o

At least that's the way a co-worker (from Padua) taught me.

[pansypoo53219]

10. smore

danish for butter
smwah

[KCDem]

11. biHENgi MALmiga NAMnida

Korean, for "I get airsick".

You never know when it might come in handy. I actually used it once... not cuz I was, but because I was sitting next to a Korean woman. She understood my pronuciation of "biHENgi" (airplane), but that's about it.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. Du. German. Pronounced Do (like dew) definition: You-informal

I thought that would be kind of neat for this board, seeing as it is DU. Meaning you...and me...are smart...and mostly informal ;-)

[Catshrink]

14. It's also sounds like what Homer says.

Although that is spelled D'OH!

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. I screwed up the pronunciation. Not a long o. Sounds like dew. Whoops!

:-)

[Kellanved]

22. Why is it useless?

For DU it is completely appropriate - "Genossen", members of a liberal/ left organization/Party are on "Du" terms by default.

[Shanty Oilish]

16. Sciatap

That's Ameritalian for silence. Pr: sha-DAP.

Another favorite: faineant, French for doing nothing, pr: fay-nay-ON.

Then there's powwaqatsi, Native American word for one who sucks the live force out of others. Pronunciation unknown because I never talk about that with anyone.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. My favorite Japanese words

tobokeru: to play dumb

bareru: to have your secret revealed

ijikeru: to act as if you have a poor self-image

ibaru: to act as if you think you're really wonderful

oshii: an adjective used to describe a missed or wasted opportunity opportunity, something that you lost or used up and wish you hadn't...

yakkai: an adjective used to describe something that is more trouble than it's worth

kan: one's ability to sense the emotional tenor of a situation or to infer someone else's thoughts or intentions

waki: the side of your body between your armpits and your waist (in other words, the part that's neither your back nor your chest)

kudoi: an adjective describing a person or text that goes on and on and on in more boring detail than anyone could ever want to know

samugariya: a person who always feels cold

Are you begining to understand why I stick with this language?

[Dogmudgeon]

18. Now Fortified With Simple English Translations!

I was actually able to get most of them down to single words or simple phrases. You'll probably notice that most of them come from the slangs of different eras:

tobokeru: play dumb (as you said); dumb bunny

bareru: (to be) narked (on)

ijikeru: false(ly) modest(y); self-deprecate (-ion, -ing)

ibaru: conceit(ed); stuck on oneself

oshii: blow (it); f***ed it away

yakkai: (it's a) drag

kan: intuit (-ion); to suss; to be hip to (note false English cognate ken)

waki: side; flank

kudoi: bore; boring

samugariya: chillin' (naaah ...)

Still, nihongo is a cool language, and is on my list of languages to learn. Right after I achieve fluency in French and Spanish, and learn enough Basque to at least keep up with my Vasconist friends.

--bkl

The Three Most Important Words In Euskara (Basque):
Non dago komuna?
(Where's the sanitary facilities?)

[Ediacara]

19. oki

pronunciation should be self-explanitory. Blackfoot word for hello.

[carpetbagger]

20. Cautionary Japanese words that may describe our future

Karoshi: death by overwork
Murishinju: Murder-suicide, or killing yourself and your family to get out of debt

[Jonte_1979]

21. Vårrulle

"Vore-rew-le".

Swedish for spring roll.