I tell people I love them a lot. This is not to degrade love in anyway. This is to say that in many ways I have a capacity to love on many levels. I find it upsetting that we have few words for such a varied emotion.
I remember my friend talking about a conversation he had with his girlfriend. He said, "She said I'm in-lust-with-you and I said it back..." How oddly definite of that feeling that goes beyond a simple crush.
There are other times when I talk all about my "non-sexual-crushes". These crushes are on moments, things, sometimes people I want to bottle up and carry around in my pocket. I simply like these things more than is probably normal/healthy.
Sanskrit has 96 words for love. Even Tamil (a modern offshoot of Sanskrit roots) has at least 30 words for love.
- aṇi (அணி) (sweet, closeness type of love)
- *aruḷ (அருள்) (love as grace)
- aḻi (அழி) - melt in love
- *aḷi (அளி) - love, aḷiyan = lover, (aḷiyē means 'Oh Love')
- This also comes from closeness, dearliness as love
- *aṉbu (அன்பு) (all encompassing Love in the deepest sense)
- āṇam (ஆணம்) (affection, feeling soul-embracing love)
- ārvam (ஆர்வம்) (pouring affection)
- imiḻ (இமிழ்) (loving bond, attachment, dear-bond, also means fullness of love)
- iḻai (இழை) (tender and kind love)
- iṉpam ( இன்பம்) (love in happiness or fulfilling relation)
- *īram (ஈரம்) (love, tender, soft-feeling towards another; also pity, compassion)
- *uruku (உருகு) (melting inside due to love)
- *uvakai (உவகை) (love in happiness or fulfilling relation)
- uḻuval (உழுவல்) (love soaked in deep feelings)
- uṟu (உறு) (the word உறவு = relation come from this)
- *kaṉivu (கனிவு) (tender, kind love)
- *kātal (காதல்) (Love. Most common word used for the love between man and woman, but it is also used for the feeling of man to God, passion for something etc.)
- takai (தகை) (graceful, kind affectionate love)
- taṇ (தண்) - தண்ணளி means deep, great love. (kind, affectionate love)
- *nacai (நசை) (fondness, dear love)
- *nēyam (நேயம்) (fondness, dear love)
- *naṇpu (நண்பு) - the word friend நண்பண் comes from this word
- nattu (நத்து) (wanting to be close out of love, loving feeling)
- nayappu (நயப்பு) - sweet love
- nār (நார்) [அன்பு. நலத்தின் கண் நாரின்மை தோன்றின் is a well-known Tirukkural line) (affectionate bond, love)
- niṇaṟu (நிணறு) (love in heart)
- neñcam (நெஞ்சம்) (love in heart)
- *nekkuruku (நெக்குருகு) (cascading melting due to love)
- ney (நெய்) (melting in the heart due to love)
- *nē (நே) (Love)
- nērcci (நேர்ச்சி) (Feeling of love)
- *paṟṟu (பற்று) (attachment, affection, love)
- *patti (பத்தி) ((attachment, affection, love, often towards God)
- piṇai (பிணை) (attachment, bond, love)
- *pācam (பாசம்) (feeling of deeply connected love)
- pukaṟci (புகற்சி) (feeling love; often talking, dwelling in this feeling)
- purivu (புரிவு) (kindness, love)
- peḷ, peṭpu (பெள், பெட்பு) (dearness of feeling as love)
- mātimai (மாதிமை) (love, attachment)
- māl (மால்) (love , desire.)
- māṉam (மானம்) (affectionate love)
- muttu (முத்து) (endearing love)
- muḻuval (முழுவல்) See உழுவல் above
- mēvu (மேவு) (to love, to desire, to embrace)
- maintu (மைந்து) (feeling love towards a woman)
- *maiyal (மையல் (Love- in man-woman )
- vayavu (வயவு) (deep sense of attachment and love)
- vāram (வாரம்) (feeling of attachment, feeling of connected)
- *viruppam (விருப்பம் (longing, attachment, kind, love)
- viḻai (விழை) ( (longing, attachment, kind, love)
- *vēḷ (வேள் (love, endearing love, friendship)
That bothers me.
Do people from these places look at my words and wonder how I can express my love to others? Is it similar to the way I see the Japanese "I like you alot" culture being incomplete? (The Japanese don't really utilize the word love. They say 好きです。 (すきです。) I like you and大好きです。 (だいすきです。) I love you. 好き (literally: like) and 大好き (literally: like a lot). )
I feel the same way about goodbye. Anytime, I say goodbye I cringe. Therefor, I try not to. It seems so final. It feels like the Japanese sayonara さよなら. A term that westerners misuse. (This is what you say as a final goodbye, as in when someone dies.)
Even if we had used a word like Aloha, it would make more sense to me. I want a word that means, "I will see you again." or a word that means, "Next time my friend." That would be nice.
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