Finding Meaning in Words

Finding Meaning in Words

This morning I was struck by the power of language. 

Something we take for granted. We expect that the words we speak are real and exact representations of the tangible things we want to portray and that others automatically understand them.

When I say I'm grieving, people must understand the depths of my despair right?

Of course not. But I forget that.

When the bf says hes frustrated with, but not angry at me. Hard for me to differentiate. :)

I wasn't trying to wake up to some aha moment

I just wanted my iced sugar-free vanilla latte gosh darnitt.

I was talking to the coffee shop folks as I always do in Spanish.

And the girl told me she saw "Alicia en el pais de maravillas" this weekend.

and I said, dear God is that how you translate Alice in Wonderland?

It has so much more meaning that way.

Maybe because I've heard it in English so many times I don't even look for significance in it.

But in Spanish it's so new and fitting to the content of the story for me.

"Alice in the land of wonders"

and actually "pais" the way I'm used to using it means country.

I'm sure many of you who speak multiple languages are confronted by this regularly.

How what is considered an "exact" translation can completely change your outlook on the topic.

Like Eskimos and their words for snow.

Check out some gorgeous interpretations of text and meaning below.

Ah Tuesday mornings before the caffeine sets in.  Always an adventure. Thanks for joining me.

 

Can I live here?

  I love Owl's

 

Haha this one is so true

 

Rainy Day Print

Webster's Pictorial Dictionary