Language of love

[extern76]

Does ever language contain the words I love you? If not whichand why?

[magicdice]

i doubt all of them contain those three words - most native american languages conjugated verbs so as to infer tense and object as well as subject, so wouldn't have the three words that make up the expression.

however, i expect that all languages would contain some expression of love that conveys this meaning. i think it was the greeks who had several words that we'd translate as love, but each with slightly different connotations

[xmanfe1999]

You're absolutely right, magicdice. I studied ancient Greek for 6 years (just long enough to forget it 6 times...) and I remeber there were at least two words for love "eros" for physical love and "agap�" for intellectual love. The feeling that we could rate as sentimental or romantic was not really something to be accounted for. Relationships like Ulysses and Penelope's or Achilles and Briseis's are (mythical exceptions) in a society that was principally dedicated to the glorification of male virtues.