Lost in Translation

Without its aromatic spices, the Indian cuisine isn’t the same, and without the serenade of the mariachi, the streets of Oaxaca are amiss! Similarly, language without its cultural context is like music without its melody.

“Ghar ki Murgi Daal Barabar” in Hindi literally translates to “The chicken at home is equal to lentils.” This idiom means that we take for granted, or value less what is available easily to us. Mrs. Mangal, who lives in Delhi, India, explained to me that traditionally in India, meat is more expensive than lentils, which are a staple food. Hence chicken, which is typically valued more, is only worth as much as lentils when cooked at home, and hence taken for granted. As you see, out of cultural and social context, this phrase loses its meaning!

The Spanish words “más se perdió en Cuba“, which literally translate to “More was lost in Cuba” date back to the Spanish American War, when Spain lost its control of Cuba, who was fighting for its independence. This quote is about putting small losses in context of Spain’s larger historical loss of Cuba. 

Similarly, “faire la grasse matinée” in French literally translates to “to do the fat morning” which means to sleep in. This quote resonates the importance of leisure, that the French culture values and relates to a better quality of life. 

In American English, there are many idioms and references to sports, exemplifying the just how important sports are in our culture, as evidenced by the buzzing football, soccer and baseball fields on a Spring Saturday. I “dropped the ball,” means I made a mistake, and “to keep the eye on the ball” means to stay alert. The word “quarterback” brings flashing images of the player on the field responsible for coordinating and directing play in American football. American English also has a lot of words rooted in military history. For example, “front line” in military context meaning the first row of an army where the brunt of the battle is felt, was also used to describe the doctors and nurses fighting COVID-19 during the pandemic, as they were seen as brave yet vulnerable as the front row in a military faceoff. 

These examples show how language develops within the cultural and situational context of its speakers. Idioms are a prime example of a string of words that are deeply rooted in the culture in which they originated. The best way to get rooted into a new language is to truly immerse in its mother culture!