The Vocabulary of Vulnerability: 10 Words from Around the World for Complex and Difficult Emotions

Maria Popova showcases a new encyclopedia that gathers ten untranslatable emotion words from languages around the globe. The Marginalian notes examples such as Sanskrit’s “abhiman,” a bruised pride that follows betrayal, Greek “acedia,” a short‑lived but crushing desolation, and Japanese “amae,” the feeling of safe surrender into another’s care. Other entries include Thai “greng jai,” the reluctance to burden someone, Finnish “kaukokaipuu,” a homesickness for places never visited, and Portuguese “saudade,” a bittersweet yearning for something far away. By widening our emotional vocabulary, the book invites readers to name feelings that standard English often leaves unnamed, offering a way to reclaim the expansiveness of our inner experience. As The Marginalian explains, a richer lexicon can help us articulate the nuances of our inner lives.

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