Illustration: Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Schwellenangst (noun, f, German)
lit. "threshold anxiety"; fear of embarking on something new or entering a place
Illustration: Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Nefelibata (noun, m+f, Spanish and Portuguese)
lit. "cloud walker"; one who lives in the clouds of their own imagination or dreams or one who does not obey the conventions of society, literature, or art
Illustration: Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Gökotta (noun, n, Swedish)
lit. "dawn picnic to hear the first birdsong"; the act of rising in the early morning to watch the bird or to go outside to appreciate nature
Illustration: Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Smultronställe (noun, c, Swedish)
lit. "place of wild strawberries"; a special place discovered, treasures, returned for solace and relaxation; a personal idyll free from stress or sadness
Illustration: Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Tatemae (noun, Japanese)
what a person pretends to believe; the behavior and opinions one must display to satisfy society's demands
Illustration: Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Honne (noun, Japanese)
what a person truly believes; the behavior and opinions that are often kept hidden and only displayed with one's closest confidants
Illustration: Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Mamihlapinatapai (noun, Yaghan)
the look shared by two people who have reached an unspoken understanding or who desire the same thing but each wish that the other would offer it first
Illustration: Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Erlebnisse (noun, pl, n, German)
the experiences, positive or negative, that we feel most deeply, and through which we truly live; not mere experiences, but Experiences
This excerpt was taken from Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World, written by Yee-Lum Mak and illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley.
