Advertisement

What are ‘untranslatable’ words?

Language necessarily evolves to accommodate new ideas, new concepts and new cultural paradigms. B...

Share this article

15.22 26 Mar 2025


What are ‘untranslatable’ words?


Listen to this episode


Share this article

15.22 26 Mar 2025


Language necessarily evolves to accommodate new ideas, new concepts and new cultural paradigms.

But, what happens when a word exists in one language, but not another?

There are lots of so-called ‘untranslatable’ words in English, and some Irish ones have been added to the latest version of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Fiona McPherson is Senior Editor at the Oxford English Dictionary and joins Seán to discuss.


Read more about

Moncrieff Highlights

Related Episodes

Do we need more non-religious...

00:10:54

Do we need more non-religious school options?

The Hard Shoulder

00:10:54


Will we need to import more je...

00:07:38

Will we need to import more jet fuel from the United States?

The Hard Shoulder

00:07:38


Do we need to grow more food f...

00:07:48

Do we need to grow more food for our own security?

The Hard Shoulder

00:07:48


Kids Clinic: Expressing Opinio...

00:09:42

Kids Clinic: Expressing Opinions

The Hard Shoulder

00:09:42