WANDERLUST IS MORE UNIVERSAL THAN EXPECTED

Lost for words? Here are 12 travel-related terms that few people know

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The rich lexicon of traveling goes beyond words like carry-on or boarding pass. Aside from the mechanical aspects of moving oneself from one place to the other, the poetry of wanderlust and journeys creates words to describe sensations, feelings, and experiences.

All over the world, different expressions from different languages describe similar human experiences relating to the joy of traveling and discovering new places. Take a moment to learn about twelve of these terms and find out how many of those describe things that you have felt.

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Resfeber, a term rooted in Swedish, embodies the intoxicating mix of anticipation and nervousness before embarking on a journey. Its literal translation, "travel fever," describes the emotions—excitement, and restlessness—that invade us as we are at the beginning of an adventure.

A somewhat similar expression in the English language would be the feeling of having "butterflies in the stomach" before an event that moves us.

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Solivagant is a word derived from Latin that eloquently describes a solitary wanderer's essence, enjoying an aimless exploration. The term comes from soli (alone) and vagant (wandering), expressing the profound beauty found in solitary journeys, where the traveler embraces the freedom to wander without a fixed destination or purpose.

It embodies the poetic notion of finding solace in the less traveled paths, acknowledging that the true essence of travel often lies in unplanned moments and the discoveries made in the quiet corners of the world.

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The German term fernweh beautifully describes the yearning for distant places, a deep ache for far-off lands yet unexplored. Composed of fern (far) and weh (pain), it expresses homesickness for places we've never been.

But, unlike "homesickness," which yearns for familiar surroundings, fernweh expresses the desire to wander, to immerse oneself in the unknown, to discover new landscapes. It captures the essence of wanderlust, a craving to explore the unfamiliar, to absorb the cultures, sights, and experiences waiting all over the world.

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The Greek word eleutheromania represents an intense obsession or craze for freedom. A combination of eleutheria (freedom) and mania (madness), it expresses the pursuit of liberty in all aspects of life.

This word encapsulates a desire for independence, self-expression, and freedom from constraints, whether societal norms, personal limitations, or any form of repression. It symbolizes a drive to break free from boundaries and embrace the unrestricted potential of the human spirit.

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The French idiom dérive embodies the concept of drifting or wandering, both physically and mentally, often without a predetermined course. Originating from the verb dériver meaning "to drift," it expresses the idea of allowing oneself to be guided by the currents of spontaneity and exploration, embracing the unexpected paths that unfold.

This term describes the act of purposeful wandering through urban landscapes to discover new perspectives within the cityscape.

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Yet another word stemming from Latin, vagary encapsulates the unpredictable nature of wandering. It describes a sudden and unpredictable change, a departure from the usual or expected course.

Vagary celebrates the beauty found in unexpected detours, serendipitous discoveries, and uncharted paths. It embodies the notion of embracing the unpredictable elements of life's journey, acknowledging that some of the most enriching experiences arise from ventures off the beaten path.

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The freedom of being alone and being able to do what you want. That is, quite literally, the meaning of the German expression sturmfrei. Originating from sturm (storm) and frei (free), it denotes the liberation experienced when one is left alone without any oversight or intrusion.

This word paints a picture of temporary autonomy, especially for younger individuals, to enjoy uninhibited moments devoid of authority figures, allowing for a sense of liberation and spontaneity. Think of Kevin McCallister, the young kid left behind by his family in Home Alone, but in German.

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If you have ever experienced something both strange and marvelous, simultaneously unfamiliar yet captivating, you have experienced selcouth. A word stemming from Old English that encapsulates the paradoxical nature of encountering something wonderfully unfamiliar yet deeply intriguing.

This term celebrates the beauty found in the unexplored, and the uncommon, inviting a sense of fascination towards the inexplicable. Selcouth acknowledges the enchantment that arises when confronted with the extraordinary.

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Derived from the Greek eu (good) and daimon (spirit or inner self), the word eudaimonia signifies a deep sense of contentment and thriving that arises from living by one's true nature and virtues.

This term transcends mere fleeting moments of joy, and it emphasizes an enduring state of well-being achieved through moral virtue, personal growth, and the pursuit of excellence.

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As we have seen on this list, the universal experience of wandering without a clear destination is a concept expressed in many languages and coddiwomple is one of them. A delightful term rooted in Old English, it captures the idea of setting off on a journey with an open heart and mind, embracing the adventure of the unknown.

Composed of coddi (to travel purposefully) and womple (to wander), this word celebrates the joy of meandering through life's paths without the constraints of a fixed plan, allowing oneself to be guided by curiosity and embracing the unexpected twists and turns along the way.

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As if trying on a different life for a while, the Old French word sojourn encapsulates the essence of a temporary stay or residence in a particular place. Derived from the words sojorner or sojourner meaning "to dwell or reside," it describes a brief period of living or lodging in a location that isn't one's permanent home.

This word carries a sense of transience, emphasizing the temporary nature of the stay, whether for rest, exploration, or specific purposes. It embodies the idea of immersing oneself temporarily in a different environment, embracing new surroundings and experiences.

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A word composed of "hitori" (one person) and "tabi" (journey or travel), the Japanese term hitoritabi embodies the art of exploring the world independently, embracing solitude while navigating diverse landscapes, cultures, and experiences.

This word celebrates the idea of traveling alone, acknowledging the freedom, self-discovery, and introspection that comes from venturing solo. Hitoritabi isn't just about physical travel but it also represents an inner journey, an opportunity for personal growth and reflection while being alone.

TRANSLATION BLUNDERS

7 translation mistakes that almost ruined everything

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Amateurish translations can be a recipe for disaster, especially when international politics or your business future are at stake! Traduttore, traditore! is an old Italian saying that roughly means "translators are traitors." However this saying has nothing to do with wartime propaganda or chauvinistic sentiments, and it’s instead a rather lighthearted take on the inherent difficulty of a translator’s line of work.

You might wonder, how bad can you make things with a bad translation? Well, there’s no need to wonder, the profession is full of hysterical stories about the craziest translation blunders that almost managed to ruin whole thriving businesses and reputations.

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Around the 1960s, Pepsi decided to expand its business to China only to find a literal linguistic barrier that almost ruined the whole venture. At the time, Pepsi’s slogan in English-speaking countries was "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation." However, when directly translated into Chinese, the slogan read something like "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead," turning the favorite cola of millions into a powerful dark magic concoction that—as one could expect—wasn’t very well received by the Chinese population, who just happen to hold their deceased ancestors in great esteem.

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When Napoleon’s brother was crowned king of Holland in 1806, he was eager to please the local populace and quickly decided to change his name to something more fitting, from Ludovic to Lodewijk. However, he was such a bad speaker of Dutch that, during the coronation ceremony, he ended up declaring himself the "Rabbit of 'Olland," instead of "King of Holland."

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This one is absolutely hilarious, and just like the Pepsi gaffe, it shows the dangers of localizing new products when you aren’t fully aware of the language. When Parker Pens decided to expand its business into Mexico, it mistranslated the company’s current slogan "It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you"— surprising by itself, since you would expect that to be the bare minimum in order to have a working pen— into "It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant," due to a confusion with the similarity between the false cognates "embarazar" (get pregnant) in Spanish and "embarrass" in English.

Credit: Tuntematon, Valkoisen talon valokuvaajat (01/20/1977 - 01/20/1981), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1977, during a trip to Poland, U.S. President Jimmy Carter took an involuntary part in a series of incredibly funny translation fails. His amateur interpreter was terribly bad at speaking Polish—and even understanding English apparently—because when the president mentioned that he had left the U.S. that morning, the interpreter said to the Polish audience that "he had left his country, never to return." To make matters even worse, Carter’s enthusiastic appeal to the Polish people was mistranslated again and the interpreter said that the president wanted to "get to know the Poles carnally."

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When beer brand Coors tried to get into the Spanish market, it failed to hire a decent translator, since the company’s tagline "Turn It Loose" was translated into something akin to "Suffer From Diarrhea," something you definitely don’t want to see in a beer can from overseas.

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When General Electric released a new partnership brand in France under the acronym GPT, no one realized that, in French, this acronym can be read as "J’ai pété," or "I farted." You can imagine that if they just hired a French teenager, they would have discovered their mistake soon enough, saving themselves a lot of time and money.

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A Swedish non-prescription drug used to alleviate stomach pains called Samarin wanted to market its product to Arabic countries with a text-free three-panel comic strip that showed a man with a hurting stomach in its first picture, the same man drinking Samarin in the second, and a happy and healthy man in the last one. But they forgot to take into account that in the Arab world people read both books and comic strips from the right to the left! So, not even avoiding text whatsoever saved them from screwing up their new business expansion.