In English we have one word, in Greek there's 5 words, Spanish is similar to Greek.
2006-07-11 03:45:34 · 10 answers · asked by Buck B 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
It may be true that there are words that express those ideas but "love" can mean affection, lust, obsession, like, or taste in food. Are Americans just sloppy in their communication?
2006-07-11 04:37:49 · update #1
I think you might want to try a thesaurus. English is a wonderfully descriptive language, permitting subtle shading of nearly any meaning I can imagine. It certainly isn't "limited!"
2006-07-11 03:49:02 · answer #1 · answered by Jack430 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes...we are very limited as to the kind of love we want to express in English, for there is only one word. A lot of bad situations could have been avoided if we had different words for different kinds of love, like the Greeks.
2006-07-11 04:25:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Lets see. Love, affection, fondness, smitten, head-over-heels, taken with, starry-eyed, to care for. I'm sure theres many others, I just can't think of them all right now.
Of course, I left out the baser ones, like lust, horny, hot for, etc. Theres quite a few of those too.
English has the largest vocabulary of any human language. There is never just one word for anything in our most beautiful and expressive tongue.
2006-07-11 04:04:16 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thoughts are not limited by languages. Because for thoughts you don't need language. Languages must have formed after a lot of thoughts by many people through years and years.
Love - if you take in the right sense that is the cream of life.
2006-07-11 03:51:40 · answer #4 · answered by latterviews 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I wouldn't say english thought is limited. Only the language and the way of expression has limitations.
Thought and emotion go beyond the barriers of language.
Find a way to express yourself, and your set.
2006-07-11 03:50:08 · answer #5 · answered by Erick 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm familiar with three of the Greek words:
agape--compassionate love, we have the words "compassion",
"charity" (in it's sense up through Elizabethan times)
phileos - friendship. Guess what? We have this word, too.
eros-which is erotic love. I think "romance" and "lust" both fall under that category.
My suggestion is that you start looking through a thesaurus.
2006-07-11 03:55:33 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You have raised a very valid point. But i think that just one word is not enough to comaparatively conclude the efficiency of a language.We should check other words as well.
2006-07-11 04:19:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah i am Greek and i know this for sure..
i find English language extremely poor
it is a pity that it is the most popular language
2006-07-11 03:50:45 · answer #8 · answered by ..Tolia.. 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree...english sucks
2006-07-11 06:27:45 · answer #9 · answered by allie <3 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
TRY AFFECTION
2006-07-11 03:47:38 · answer #10 · answered by joypinkmail 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋