Sola, alone, soledad, loneliness.
Some of these expressions don’t translate directly from English to Spanish.
When you look at Hispanic cultures where kids stay at their parent’s house until they’re married and live in small, cozy, shared spaces their entire lives, it makes sense that aloneness doesn’t translate directly, especially to an individualistic and private culture like the U.S.
A great example of this is the word WaQua that comes from the indigenous people of the central Andes in South America, including Peru and Bolivia.
WaQua (pronounced Wak-cha) means someone who is an island, someone who walks alone, someone who has lost their roots and even an orphan – depending on the locality. It’s the worst word Inkans could call someone. They find it so sad it’s not even mean. (BTW, Inkans don’t have cuss words, which I find simply amazing.)
