Other-Wordly: words both strange and lovely from around the world

By Yee-Lum Mak and Kelsey Garrity-Riley

Discover words to surprise, delight, and enamor. Learn terms for the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees, for dancing awkwardly but with relish, and for the look shared by two people who each wish the other would speak first. Other-Wordly is an irresistible ebook for lovers of words and those lost for words alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Oct 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781452159065

Yee-Lum Mak

Yee-Lum Mak loved long words best as a kid, but she’s since learned that lovely words come in many shapes. She lives in Los Angeles.

Book preview

Reviews for Other-Wordly

[Jade Barr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A gorgeous selection of words. The accompanying art is also lovely. I would perhaps not go quite as far as to call them otherworldly, personally.

[Cristina St. Germain · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful short coffee book read. Perfect for reading while you drink your coffee or eat your cereal.

[HOGS Techs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful drawing. Beautiful words, it just quite hard to pronounce

[manda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is such a beautiful little book, filled with lovely words, most of which speak of feelings that can be hard to pin down. I had come across a couple of these words previously, but most of them were new to me. Perfect for any wordnerd or linguistic lover. This book filled a small space in my heart I didn't realize was empty.

[mardhiahreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heartwarming & beautiful! The illustrations were amazing, so were the words describing them. This book made my afternoon full of warmth and peace ?

[Lokalogia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I started reading this book, I think it's like common, but when I keep turning the pages, I found something interesting. Cool.

[Liv Richardson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this book. I have a special notebook for this exact sort of thing. ♡♡

[Dalila Souza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Esse livro é muito quentinho no coração.
Li de ponta a ponta com um sorriso no rosto e aquele sentimento de leveza, sabe?!
As palavras são bastante específicas e são tão lindas! Todas descrevem algo que nós não sabemos como descrever. (exceto a Cafuné, porque essa é nossa, né?!)
E as ilustrações são belíssimas.

[suedarc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a lovely little book designed around the concept of words you wish existed....but that do, in fact, exist in other languages. How about a word for that special stress-free favorite place you love to go to? Yes, there is a word: smultronstalle (Swedish). A great book for lovers of language and beautiful design. Short, sweet, fascinating.

[murderbydeath · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm a sucker for words; especially unusual words, or foreign-language words that have no straight translation into English, and the beauty of this book's cover made it impossible to resist it, even though I already have similar books.

Luckily this small but beautifully illustrated collection of words are almost entirely different from those found in the books I already have and the author also included English words that are rarely used or hardly known (Deipnosophist, n, someone skilled in small talk or in conversing around the dining table).

Bonus points to the author and publisher for including not only an index of the words themselves, but an index of the words by language. Demerit points because once again nobody thought to include a pronunciation guide, and figuring out how to pronounce cwtch (Welsh, n, hug or cuddle; a safe place; the cupboard beneath the stairs) is beyond my meagre abilities to even guess.

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you love words as much as I do, you're really going to enjoy Other-Wordly. It is filled with words from not only English but other languages and cultures to expand your vocabulary and to make you realize that, yes, there is a word for that. Like "komorebi", the Japanese word for the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees, or "tartle", a Scots word that means to hesitate while introducing or meeting someone because you've forgotten their name.

Now that I think of it, this is the type of beautifully illustrated little book that would make the perfect gift for other language lovers. My only greedy little complaint? It's too short!

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A collection of words from around the world that are beautifully illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley, I want this book for my collection to savour and enjoy.