posted by Christine on Jul 2
I have traveled a lot and have picked up a few words from where I visited. Especially in Asia, some people have mixed their own dialect with English and created a whole new word. In other countries, some have words that mean something extraordinary or outrageous. I have found some words all over the web as well so here are 10 non-English words and their meanings.
Layogenic - From the Philippines. It combines the words “Layo” meaning “Far” with “-genic” from “photogenic”. The word describes someone who is beautiful or handsome from far away but not-so-beautiful or handsome upclose.
Talikodgenic - Another one from the Philippines. It’s basically a mix of the words “Talikod” meaning “to turn around showing your back” and the “-genic” from “photogenic” to create a word that describes a person who looks good when showing his or her back but not-so-good when facing you.
Jayus - From Indonesia. It describes someone who tells a very unfunny joke that you can’t help but laugh about it.
Embarazada - This is Spanish for pregnant. What makes it funny is because it closely resembles the word “embarrased”. When native English speakers say it in front of Spanish speakers, most usually interpret it as “I’m pregnant”. It sets up hilarious situations, I tell you!
Slikpik - Slikpik is a popular lotto choice in Australia (also known as Quick-pick or Auto-pick). However, in Dannish it’s quite offensive since the word “slik” means “lick” and “pik” could mean a d-, I mean a man’s genitals. You get what I’m saying?
Bablat - Something interesting I found out while browsing. It’s a Hebrew word for something similar to “baloney”. Though it is an acronym for “beelbool beytseem le-lo takhleet” which means “bothering someone’s testicles for no reason”. Whaaat?
Gattara - The Gattara are a minority community of Sri Lanka’s past but are now nearly nonexistent. They were a sub-caste of the Govigama during the British period. In Italian however, it describes a woman who feeds stray cats.
Rhwe - Rhwe is a Tsonga word from South Africa. Basically, it means to sleep on the floor while drunk and naked. The information about the word rhwe came from a book titled “The Meaning of Tingo”, by Adam Jacot de Boinod.
Jug - We know what it means in English. A container for holding liquids. Or it could also be the popular slang which refers to women’s breasts. In Romania however, it means yoke - the thing that people put on oxen to make them work together.
Fag - Hold your horses! It’s not what you think! Although the popular usage of the word seems to be directed at homosexuals (well for English speakers, that is), it’s actually a Romanian work for beech - the tree or the hard wood that is used as a low cost alternative for Oak, Ash and Hickory. Seriously. I really meant the foreign word!
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Funny Foreign Words From All Over The World…
I have traveled a lot and have picked up a few words from where I visited. Especially in Asia, some people have mixed their own dialect with English and created a whole new word. In other countries, some have words that mean something extraordinary or …
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Funny Foreign Words From All Over The World…
I have traveled a lot and have picked up a few words from where I visited. Especially in Asia, some people have mixed their own dialect with English and created a whole new word. In other countries, some have words that mean something extraordinary or …
July 4th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Wow, those first two need to enter common usage in the English language!
And let’s not forget that in the UK ‘fag’ is a common slang word for a cigarette. When I meet an American smoker, I often forget and ask if I can ‘pinch a fag’. Which usually gets a few funny looks…
July 5th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Hey, put a JUG on them OX so they can move those LAYOGENIC FAGS or we’ll all be RHWE tonight!
July 11th, 2008 at 11:20 am
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