1237: Translation Relation (re 'Shuld') Apr 29, 2018

Words have multiple meanings, but unsurprisingly, this leads to the problem of not being able to translate things from one language to another on a one-to-one level. Sometimes, and perhaps even more often, this will be random, but nevertheless there can be the ability to gain some insights about a cultural (or at the very least linguistic) zeitgeist. For instance, the German word for 'debt' is 'Shuld, but that word is also the same for 'guilt' and less commonly though still acceptably 'fault'. Again, this could have also happened in any language, but it could be noted that Germany has a payment surplus and the nation has very little private debt compared to other European countries. See yesterday's post for more on this idea of translation relation.

To see some hypothetical Word Facts, visit Patreon.com/wordfacts. Check out the latest Youtube video too: https://youtu.be/T18K38h2ZHc