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

Ireland officially has the hig...

00:12:32

Ireland officially has the highest energy prices in the EU

The Hard Shoulder

00:12:32


Wish Week: Shane gets waxed!

00:11:11

Wish Week: Shane gets waxed!

The Hard Shoulder

00:11:11


Sport with John Duggan: Champi...

00:06:23

Sport with John Duggan: Champions League Chat

The Hard Shoulder

00:06:23


Tech Takeover: EU age verifica...

00:10:29

Tech Takeover: EU age verification app

The Hard Shoulder

00:10:29