Letters from Hayastan (Armenia) Letter no. 9
In Armenian, we have the word «կարոտ» (karot). It comes close to longing in English, but it’s not quite the same. Karot isn’t just wanting and yearning for something—it’s the melancholic ache of absence, the weight of missing someone or something dear and longing for it. It comes from the verb «կարոտել» (karotel)—to miss.
We Armenians are no strangers to karot. Our history is steeped in it. Perhaps that’s why our language is rich with words that express its many shades—words I find myself longing for when writing in English.
Կարոտավառ (karotavar) — ablaze with 'longing', burning with karot
Կարոտամեռ (karotamer) — dying of 'longing', lifeless from karot
Կարոտախտ (karotakht) — a sickness of 'longing', an affliction of karot
Կարոտն առնել (karotn arnel) — to ease your longing by finally seeing, embracing or being with what was missed
Some emotions are too vast for a single word. Karot is one of them.
