In Finland, the word ‘sisu’ is used to describe a kind of extraordinary determination in the face of adversity. Though only four letters, according to Finnish speakers, it encapsulates something that words like ‘perseverance’ or ‘resilience’ in English don’t quite do justice. But just because English doesn’t have a word for these emotions, it doesn’t mean we don’t experience them.
Tim Lomas, a Ph.D. lecturer in positive psychology at the University of East London, runs an index of such words called The Positive Lexicography Project.
We agree with him when he says that these words “offer a very different way of seeing the world” and give us a chance to develop a richer and more nuanced understanding of ourselves.
We’ve picked fifteen of our favorite words from the site but there are hundreds more to explore.
Ramé noun
Something at once chaotic and joyful.
Balinese
Beschaulich adjective, adverb
Quiet, pensive; living a simple life; pleasantly contemplative, unhurried in a fashion that inspires mental well-being.
German
Sirva vigad verb
Lit. weeping feasting/having fun; taking one's pleasures tearfully; a melancholic intermingling of joy and sorrow.
Hungarian
Njuta verb
To deeply enjoy, to profoundly appreciate.
Swedish
Harikoa noun
Joyful, euphoric, delighted, exuberant, elated, thrilled, ecstatic, jubilant.
Māori
Ânanda (आनन्द) noun
Bliss, lasting contentment; spiritual, ‘unconditional’ happiness.
Sanskrit
Fjaka noun
Relaxation of body and mind; sleepiness, drowsiness; the ‘sweetness of doing nothing’.
Croatian
Ayurnamat noun
Stoicism; the possibility or approach of not worrying about things that cannot be changed.
Inuktitut
Seijaku (静寂) noun
Quiet (sei) tranquillity (jaku); silence, calm, serenity (especially in the midst of activity or chaos).
Japanese
Hygge noun
A deep sense of place, warmth, friendship, and contentment.
Danish/Norwegian
Xìngfú (幸福) noun
Fortunate (xìng) blessing (fú); contentment; deep happiness.
Chinese
Morriña noun
Longing; homesickness; notalgia.
Galician
Saudade noun
Melancholic longing, nostalgia, dreaming wistfulness.
Portuguese
Iktsuarpok noun
Anticipation one feels when waiting for someone, and keeps checking if they're arriving.
Inuit
Qarrtsiluni verb
Sitting together in the darkness, perhaps expectantly (e.g., waiting for something to happen or to ‘burst forth’); the strange quiet before a momentous event.
Inuit, Iñupiaq
Tizita (ትዝታ) noun
A bittersweet remembrance and longing for a time, person, thing gone by.
Amharic
Eleutheromania (ελευθερομανία) noun
An intense, irrepressible desire for freedom.
Greek
If you check out The Positive Lexicography Project, let us know which word is your favorite!