Across the globe, many cultures have words for love and attachment that don't have a direct English equivalent.

Why it matters: Borrowing a word from another language could help you say what "love" alone can't.

The big picture: English heavily relies on the "L" word to talk about all manner of deep connection — which could say something about our culture's comfort with big feelings.

• "It's not necessarily a bad thing," says linguist Ben Kramer. "There's also something beautiful" about viewing feelings for a relative on the same level as those for a romantic partner.

In Japanese, the phrase koi no yokan means the premonition of love — the idea that you will be in love with the person in the future.

• No, that's not the same as "love at first sight," Kramer tells Axios.

In Arabic, ya'aburnee means "you bury me." In other words, you love someone so much that you need them to outlive you.

In American Sign Language, there are also multiple ways to express that you love someone. The same is true for Norwegian (elske is the most intense) and Spanish (te amo vs. te quiero).

• The Ancient Greeks also recognized different types of love.

In Welsh, hiraeth is a longing for a place, time or person that can't be reached.

• On a similar melancholic note, German has abschiedsschmerz, which literally means "departure pain." It describes a feeling for a loved one who comes for a visit and then has to leave, Kramer says.

In Korean, jeong describes a specific kind of attachment, a fondness between two people or for an object that builds over time.

• Meanwhile, the Yiddish phrase bashert translates to "destiny," and can be used to describe finding a soulmate.

In French, mon petit chou literally means "my little cabbage," but is a term of endearment like the English "honey."

• German and Danish have loving pet names that mean "treasure," Kramer says, while in Swedish a term that can mean "little old person" can also be affectionately used to describe a loved one.

Keep reading

The day before Valentine's Day has become its own holiday for platonic love, known as Palentine's Day or Galentine's Day.

Why it matters: The holiday helps make love feel less exclusive and reminds us of the importance of platonic relationships, according to Marisa Franco, a psychologist, professor and author of "Platonic," a research-backed book about how to make and keep friends.

What she's saying: Sometimes people forget that "platonic love can be romantic," she says. "People are obsessed with their friends."

Every year Franco throws a Palentine's Day party for her friends, divides the guests into small groups, and has discussions around prepared topics.

Want to host a similar soiree? Feel free to incorporate some of the questions Franco asked at her last Palentine's Day party.

On defining love:

• What's something you've learned about love that you no longer believe?
• What's a way you might need to be loved that's different from most others?

On platonic love:

• What have your friends taught you about what it means to love?
• What's the single most powerful moment of love you've had in friendship?

On self-love:

• Do you agree with 14th-century German theologian Meister Eckhart that "if you love yourself, you love everybody else as you do yourself"?
• When you are in love with someone, do you feel like more or less of yourself? Why?

Go deeper: Take Franco's friendship questionnaire to determine what kind of friend you are (and how to be a better one).

😧 Chances of recovering Oregon's historically low snowpack this year are low, according to the state's climatologist, signaling a challenging summer ahead for outdoor recreation, farms and a longer wildfire season. (OPB)

👤 Portland City Council ousted a member of the police oversight board after he refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement that he alleged blocked information from the public. (The Oregonian)

🍇 After 110 years in Portland's Central Eastide, wholesale supplier Sheridan Fruit Company will close its doors today after struggling to keep its shelves stocked. (KGW)

🍞 Oyatsupan Bakers is opening a new kitchen to expand production to meet demand from retail and wholesale business. (Portland Business Journal)

As lab-grown diamonds make large, bright white stones more accessible, consumers are finding appeal in stones once considered imperfect.

What they're saying: "When everyone can have a big rock, people start looking for other ways to stand out," says Kegan Fisher, CEO of jeweler Frank Darling.

• "Size alone is no longer a reliable signal of status."

State of play: The Clear Cut, a natural diamond jeweler, has seen a 115% jump in sales of faint- to very-light yellow stones over the past year, CEO Olivia Landau tells Axios.

• That's a big shift. "Historically and typically, we've only sold diamonds in the colorless to near-colorless range."
• And De Beers and other natural diamond players are leaning into marketing around "desert" and champagne-colored stones.

Follow the money: In natural stones especially, warmer diamonds offer a "bolder look at a much lower price point than their icy-white counterparts," Fisher tells Axios.

Between the lines: Lab gems have transformed the jewelry market, driving diamond prices lower. Many who would've bought smaller natural stones are instead picking flashier lab versions.

• Over half of engaged couples (52%) now sport rings with lab-grown diamonds, according to a survey by the Knot, a wedding planning and registry site.

Tell a friend

America's taste in romantic movies differs across the country.

Between the lines: Roku search data exclusively shared with Axios reveals the romance title each state is unusually into, and the results range from "Wedding Crashers" to "When Harry Met Sally."

• Yes, "Sleepless in Seattle" is popular in Washington, and "Sweet Home Alabama" is big in Alabama — but not all titles are so obvious.

Case in point: "Overboard (1987)" is Oregon's top romantic movie pick.

• Starring real-life couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, the comedy follows an heiress who falls off her yacht while vacationing on the Oregon coast, loses her memory and is taken in by a carpenter she once mistreated— who convinces her they're married.

See other top romance picks by state