409: Hyphen Jan 21, 2015

In English and other Germanic languages, it is possible to combine nouns together to make one phrase using a hyphen, such as, 'fish-eye' or 'summer-dress'. This quality is not found in romance languages. As such, the originally French, 'poudre de succession' (powder of succession) is one phrase 'inheritance-powder' in English. Another example of the limitations of romance languages is originally French 'l'esprit de l'escalier' in French for the much shorter 'Treppenwitz' meaning 'staircase-wisdom', to describe the feeling of thinking of something after it is relevant (like coming up with come-backs 15 minutes after an argument).