Recently I came across this amazing little Tumblr named ‘OtherWordly‘ – itself a play on words. It consists of a collection of strange and lovely words from different languages through different times. What I like most about this selection of consonants and vowels – little meaning-carrying packages of vibration – is that they all try to point to the unspeakable, the transient or the neglected. That which we forget in the busyness of our daily grind. Words have the power to remind us – and therefore we should choose our words carefully so we are reminded of the things that nourish our souls.
You can find my favourite words below – pick five that resonate most, write them down, yes seriously – go grab a pen -, make sure to learn them by heart, teach them to your inner voice and share them with others to guide our collective attention to what truly matters. Oh – and don’t forget to visit and follow the Tumblr ‘OtherWordly‘ to find more words, to support the author and perhaps send a special word you know her way.
1 – Sophrosyne
sophrosyne
 
2 – Vorfreude
vorfreude
pronunciation | ‘for-froi-duh
3 – Numinous
numinous
 
4 – Nemophilist
nemophilist
pronunciation | ne-‘mo-fe-list
5 – Sillage
sillage
 
6 – Erlebnisse
erlebnisse
pronunciation | Ar-‘lEb-nis-e (ayr-LEEB-nis-eh)
singular | Erlebnis
7 – Koyaanisqatsi
koyaanisqatsi
pronunciation | koy-an-Es-kot-sA
8 – Meliorism
meliorism
pronunciation | ‘mE-lE-or-iz-m
9 – Fernweh
fernweh
pronunciation | FEIRN-veyh, with fei as in feint
10 – Ostranenie
ostranenie