My stupid fever relapsed earlier this week, so this week was largely devoted to catching up with my Duolingo. I did some speaking exercises on phrases, but the key to this is the word ‘some’.
One of all the new Russian words I learnt the past week took my breath away. It is Тоска, pronounced as ‘toska’ and on the surface, it means sadness or melancholia. However, it has shades. Let the beautiful words of Vladimir Nabokov explain what I mean:
‘No single word in English renders all the shades of ‘toska’. At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody of something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades into ennui, boredom.’
For me, sadness just meant sadness and I never thought that it can ever be possible to attach the reason behind it inside the word itself. It is ironic that the word for all shades of sadness is bringing me such joy but it is. Maybe it is the writer inside me trying to read too much between the lines but you know what, not all sadnesses are equal. Okay, I will stop now 😀
I am back home and I hope to post more regularly now. Till then, пока пока 🙂
September 24, 2018 at 8:52 pm
That’s such a prolific word, thanks for sharing , I sometimes go through “toska” I guess . 😁😁.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 24, 2018 at 9:14 pm
Haha! Glad to know you like this word. Thanks for reading 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 24, 2018 at 8:57 pm
This post reminds me of the character ‘Sadness’ from the animated movie ‘Inside Out’. I don’t know if you have seen that movie or not but in the end they show the importance of sadness in an amazing way. That it’s more than just a feeling of pain.
Great post as usual.
LikeLiked by 2 people
September 24, 2018 at 9:36 pm
I loved that movie! You are right. It is pretty much like her character in it. Thanks for reading the post 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 12:13 am
Its true as said as said by Nabokov sadness has its shades..I see it as a spectrum varying form the dull and aching to extreme state of melancholy. Happy to learn a new word today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 2:39 pm
I am glad you liked it. This word took me by surprise too ❤
LikeLike
September 25, 2018 at 5:12 am
Hope you are feeling better. Thanks for sharing your learning. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 2:40 pm
And thank you for reading it. I am recovering now, but it will take some time. Hope it gets over soon 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 5:40 pm
Feel better. 🌸🌸
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 5:57 pm
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 7:20 pm
You are so welcome
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 7:29 pm
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 3:48 pm
Glad you are home but no so good that you have had a relapse of your fever. I expect it is probably the toska in Russian music which makes the music so appealing to me, although,until your post, I had no idea the word existed.
LikeLiked by 2 people
September 25, 2018 at 3:56 pm
It is definitely possible. This word surprised me as well. So nice to know that you found it worth pondering over 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 6:10 pm
Exactly ‘not all sadness are equal’!
I do hope you are much better Neha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 6:28 pm
I am recovering now. Thanks for asking, Parikhit 🙂
I really liked this word and felt that it will resonate well with my WordPress friends like you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 8:03 pm
It does! There are some words which find no equivalent in English or any other language and the essence remains trapped in the originality.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 25, 2018 at 9:18 pm
Very true 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 26, 2018 at 5:45 am
Love your post! Keep on giving us new words!
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 26, 2018 at 11:10 am
Thanks a lot for reading it! I will try my best ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 26, 2018 at 11:57 am
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 26, 2018 at 3:26 pm
It’s a great gift, being able to learn new languages as an adult. Kids, they say pick up new languages easily if it’s been spoken around them. I have long since the desire to learn Persian language but am held back by the fear that it would be too much to take on ! Maybe one of these days, I will attempt it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 26, 2018 at 3:29 pm
I am sure you will. I was scared of beginning with Russian but all it took was tiny, baby steps towards it. You can try something like that, maybe 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 26, 2018 at 3:30 pm
Hope so. You give me the courage so I will do it one day. 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 26, 2018 at 3:34 pm
I would wait for it 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 26, 2018 at 3:35 pm
🤓
LikeLiked by 1 person