"Have you ever felt a little mbuki-mvuki – the irresistible urge to “shuck off your clothes as you dance”? Perhaps a little kilig – the jittery fluttering feeling as you talk to someone you fancy? How about uitwaaien – which encapsulates the revitalising effects of taking a walk in the wind?
These words – taken from Bantu, Tagalog, and
Dutch – have no direct English equivalent, but they represent very
precise emotional experiences that are neglected in our language. And if
Tim Lomas at the University of East London has his way, they might soon
become much more familiar."
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