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

The Fallout From Jeffrey Donal...

00:22:59

The Fallout From Jeffrey Donaldson's Conviction

Newstalk Daily

00:22:59


Episode 16: Verdicts

00:09:37

Episode 16: Verdicts

All Rise: The Riad Bouchaker Trial

00:09:37


New customs charges come into...

00:08:02

New customs charges come into effect today - how are you impacted?

The Hard Shoulder

00:08:02


New food safety rules to ensur...

00:07:30

New food safety rules to ensure compliance with listeria limits

The Hard Shoulder

00:07:30