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

How to do Stuff: Take more ris...

00:09:07

How to do Stuff: Take more risks

The Hard Shoulder

00:09:07


Two working parents, what impa...

00:00:03

Two working parents, what impact does it have on family life ?

The Hard Shoulder

00:00:03


VHI to increase Health Insuran...

00:07:38

VHI to increase Health Insurance prices. Advice for consumers.

The Hard Shoulder

00:07:38


Time to be added to exam paper...

00:12:43

Time to be added to exam papers for those with dyslexia but is it enough ?

The Hard Shoulder

00:12:43