About the project

What if Urban Dictionary was multilingual — and added more context?
This project was born from the idea that language doesn't exist in a vacuum, and simple definitions and translations just don't always cut it.

From idea to Kickstarter

It all started with the idea of an urban dictionary that was specifically multilingual, and allowed for more complex information. To see if others were interested I launched a Kickstarter campaign, and got fully funded.

Development and launch

I started learning to code from scratch, working towards building the website myself. With some trials and turbulations, the website was launched later that year, ready for use.

Reaching 100+ countries

Bit by bit, people started adding entries from around the world, reaching over 100+ countries in early 2021. An amazing milestone for an incredible collection of words and phrases

Still growing

This is just the beginning. We are constantly working on improving the site and reaching out to more people in order to grow this project.

Untranslatable - Why It Matters

Our mission

To create a place on the internet where people can share and explore the parts of language that usually go unnoticed.

We believe that every language variety, whether it's spoken by millions or just a small community, carries unique cultural insight and perspective worth preserving and sharing.



Behind the project

Amarens is a linguist and developer from the Netherlands. Born in 1995, she grew up in a multilingual environment (Dutch, Frisian), which along with the languages she learned later (English, Spanish, Portuguese) inspired her to create Untranslatable.

With a background in computational linguistics, Amarens is passionate about exploring uses of language that are often overlooked. She launched Untranslatable after recognizing how digital tools could help preserve and promote minority languages and dialects that are traditionally dismissed as "incorrect" or "non-standard", as well as provide a way for language learners to explore the meaning of words in a more intimate way.

Amarens - Behind the project

Our team

These are the people working on Untranslatable.

Our supporters

Join us

All these amazing people have contributed and helped this platform with their donations on Kickstarter and Patreon.



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