Inaugural Newsletter
Lexical Gaps, or I Just Really Love German Compound Nouns, Okay?
hallo, willkommen!1
Thanks for subscribing to Lexical Gap, a monthly newsletter named for a linguistic phenomenon and JJ's fascination with how other languages (usually German) has words to describe experiences and feelings that English lacks.
Anyway, this is my inaugural newsletter, so I'm still testing and trying out what should and shouldn't go into one. Personally, I like newsletters from authors with a bit of this, a bit of that, but I realize that my subscribers (I have subscribers!) might not. I would appreciate feedback, if'n y'all would be so kind to take the time to send. (If not, I still love all of you!)
why lexical gap?
Those of you who have known me for a long time will know that I have a thing for German compound nouns. A few of my favorites include Sitzfleisch (lit. "sit meat"), meaning "the ability to sit through something boring", and Backpfeifengesicht (lit. "slap face"), which means "a face that cries out for a fist in it."
I figure every month I will introduce y'all t…