2 FEBRUARY 2008, Page 26

Mind the gaps

Sir: Matthew Parris’s article on the ‘surprising gaps’ the English language has in its vocabulary (Another voice, 19 January), reminds me of all the times I have asked British friends to give me the equivalent of a modern Greek word by describing to them what it means. To my surprise their answer has often been that such a word does not exist. There’s no noun in English specific to the sound waves make on rocks; no word reserved to describe the feeling of being in love. Isn’t it sad that in England the sun just sets? In Greece when it does so, it reigns as a king.

Theodore Papadakis

London N6