words the english don't have words for.

[mollykins]

why is it that we don't have words for something, and most other words are variations of the equivilent in different languages?

Glokenspeil, entrepeneur (sp?)

Blue; Blau Blu Bleu Blå Blauw

[sophie_1003]

England has been invaded many many times over the years so that goes some way to explaining why English appears to have stolen many of it's words from elsewhere. I think also it's because when people first used written language it was mostly monks who would be using Latin so many of our words have Latin origins (somebody correct me please if I'm wrong!)
Other words that we have 'stolen'-- karaoke
vice versa
doppelganger

[hc4361]

Why isn't there a single word for one's grown up sons and daughters? They are not children.

[hc4361]

The Welsh have adopted a lot of English words in to their vocabulary too, modern words such as telephone, television, internet.

[sophie_1003]

Offspring?

[McMouse]

Deja vu coming on

[Androcles]

Sophie sort of "Offspring Durch Technik"?

[sophie_1003]

Only if you have IVF! Otherwise would be 'offspring au naturel'!

[merciasounds]

pyjamas.....jodhpurs....bungalow - juggernaut......pariah.........khaki......... shampoo....catamaran.... loot......bazaar......... calico........chutney - all Indian words.

[jno]

glockenspiel is an English word. It came from another language first, but so did piano. So did most words. The English language itself came from north Germany.

[NoMercy]

En suite, chaise longue, de rigeur, au gratin...

[McMouse]

Japanese..........bakku-shan - a girl who appears pretty from behind but not from the front

[mrs_overall]

Schadenfreude

[mollykins]

welsh has a funny example, golf-mini

[boxtops]

..and don't forget that the French have adopted a lot of our words and phrases - le weekend, for instance. It's all about languages evolving, everybody borrows a bit of something else over the years.