Autumn is finally here and we are living for the pumpkin spiced lattes, shorter days and cosy sweaters! Yes, it’s the time of year when we can take life at a quieter pace and enjoy the beauty of the small things before the mayhem of Christmas kicks into action.
To celebrate Autumn and all the beauty it brings, we thought we’d share some of our favourite autumnal words from around the world! Words that make are hearts warm upon hearing them and our souls smile upon saying them.
So, get ready to get cosy as we present the snuggest, most homely and heart warming words!
1. Złota Polska Jesień
Złota Polska Jesień is a Polish term which means a ‘golden Polish autumn’. Approximately 30% of Poland’s land is covered by forests which means that, during autumn, approximately 30% of Poland is decorated in gorgeous golden-red tones. Now that’s something we want to see!
2. Lloviznar
Lloviznar is a Spanish word which means ‘to drizzle.’
Whilst we are big fans of autumn you can’t deny that it does bring a lot of rain.
However, although the rain itself isn’t the prettiest of sights, ‘lloviznar’ certainly has an endearing sound to it! It comes from the verb ‘llover’ which means to rain, which ultimately derives from the latin ‘plovere’.
3. Conkers
Any British reader will know what a conker is and any British reader should equally testify that this is a great word to say! For those who aren’t aware, a conker is a chestnut and the word comes from a game that dates back to the 19th century.
The game is relatively simple yet addictive. First you need to drill a hole in a conker and thread a shoelace or a piece of string through it. Next, you need to tie a knot at each end to secure the conker. And finally, you take turns trying to hit each other’s conker until one breaks. And voilá – simple yet mountains of fun!
4. Zucca
Zucca is an Italian noun and it is another word which is pleasing to say! Further still it is arguably the most synonymous term with autumn. Any thoughts of what it might mean?
… It’s a pumpkin of course!
Is it truly autumn if you haven’t carved a pumpkin for Halloween, made a pumpkin pie or drunk a pumpkin spiced latte? We vote no!
5. Les Feuilles
Les feuilles is a French noun which means ‘leaves’. The term is rather unexciting in English but it sounds rather pretty in French, don’t you think?
6. Calavera
Calavera is a Spanish word which means ‘skull’. However, in Mexico, this term has a lot more to offer than simply a black and white skull. Yes, during el Dia de los Muertos, there is nothing more iconic than a colourful calavera! They can be made of sugar or clay and are decorated with flowers, beads and icing.
Both adorning ofrendas and decorating the streets, calaveras are the heart of autumn in Mexico.
7. Herbstlaubtrittvergnügen
Our final term is a lovely long German word which describes the ‘pleasure of kicking through autumn leaves’ – a pleasure which I think we all share! The term is a combination of four words. First up there is ‘herbst’ which means ‘autumn’. Next we have ‘laub’ which means leaves, ‘tritt’ which means ‘kick’ and ‘vergnügen’ which means ‘pleasure’. It’s quite straightforward when you break it down like that I suppose!
We hope you have enjoyed learning about our favourite autumnal words! We’d love to hear some of your favourites though! Why not get in touch via our social media to share your thoughts!
Fancy reading more about words in translation? Why not check out last years blog post exploring some of our favourite untranslatable words?
3 October 2022 11:40