There is this Turkish word: yakamoz. The English-Turkish dictionary translates it as "phosphorescence in the sea", but this is so completely wrong that I almost feel sorry for the poor lexicographer, because today my Turkish colleague explained to me that yakamoz means "the reflection of the moon on water" and with a great sweep of her hands she leaned her head sideways and looked into the distance and let out this gentle sigh, yakamoz.
She also told me that the Turkish word seher cannot simply be translated as dawn, because it describes that very special moment when you know that any minute, any second now, the first ray of sunlight will inch across the sky.
What a beautiful post. I remember seeing the reflection on the ocean of the full moon, low in the sky, over the Pacific Ocean. Yakamoz and, more recently, yes, seher
ReplyDeleteWord verification: oh angel 7
Ah! This word was deemed the most beautiful word! http://forum.kusadasi.biz/threads/the-most-beautiful-word-in-the-world-is-turkish.11860/
ReplyDeleteMy father was stationed in Turkey in the 70's, and although I begged and pleaded, I had to stay behind with the rest of the family.