Happiness–Found in Translation: A Glossary of Joy from Around the World

A beautifully illustrated dictionary of words from around the world that describe experiences of happiness for which there are no equivalents in the English language.

Have you ever had a feeling that you couldn’t quite describe because there was no word in English that captured it? Our ability to fully experience moments of joy in our lives can be limited by the words at our disposal. In this magical book, psychologist Tim Lomas surveys words from around the world to help readers put their finger on feelings of happiness that before might have lingered for only a moment in their mind’s eye before disappearing. The ideal gift for language lovers, or for anyone looking for a megadose of pure joy, Happiness–Found in Translation features such untranslatable words as:

Bazodee: A Creole (Trinidad and Tobago) word to describe a dizzy and dazed happiness, a bewildered, discombobulated joy.

Charmolypi: A Greek word for the sad, joy-making sorrow when happiness and sadness intermingle.

Wu wei: A Chinese term for natural, spontaneous, and effortless action, skilfully flowing with the currents of life.

Happiness–Found in Translation gives readers access to the great happiness that the world’s languages have to offer.