Comments on: Beautiful Foreign Words in English

By: Kristin Teplica

Kristin Teplica — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:46:27 +0000

Great stuff, just what I was looking for

By: John

John — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:56:28 +0000

I agree that there are many English words that are borrowed (assimilated is probably the better word). However, there are still a lot of words that English hasn’t taken. Many of those words tend to be untranslatable. I was searching a day or two ago and came across http://www.betterthanenglish.com. It has a lot of beautiful words that do not have an English translation.

By: Jean-Paul Setlak

Jean-Paul Setlak — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:09:36 +0000

The beauty of words can also be viewed in the way one looks at artwork. There are so many different forms and styles. I am a native French speaker and of course love the beauty of my own language reflected in the mirror of English; but when in another mood, I love the rhythm and sounds of Anglo-Saxon words: dell, dale and wood. The flavor is so different, yet it is also delightful. A different art style!
Sounds directly affect the nervous system, and the sounds we learn in early childhood are the ones we feel most comfortable with. The sounds of other languages are always viewed through the filter of our own. English speakers usually will find “German hard” and “Italian melodious.” So is the instinctive attraction for French words, the distant echo of the Norman invaders’ voices imposing the beauty of their new language – after all they were still Vikings by blood – on the Saxon brain? Does it explain the love-hate relationship that still exists between the culturally-English Americans and the French? The memory of Hastings?

By: Janet Trossell

Janet Trossell — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:22:48 +0000

Blackmail is from the Old Norse, mall, meaning tax.
The Vikings taxed the indigenous population of Britain,
anything bad was ‘black’
hence blackmail.

By: O Salinas

O Salinas — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:11:07 +0000

I’ve been thinking for awhile that English confuses me. For example we have First class Mail, Express Mail, Priority Mail, Certified Mail, Registered Mail, Air Mail, regular mail and unfortunate black mail. Who came with this definition? Where is white mail? or any other color for that matter.

By: rod

rod — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:28:17 +0000

English is most revolutionized language in the world. I much appreciate your efforts on singling out the 100 most beautiful words in English.