The Instagram profile @capdefavaamborelles has compiled a dictionary with more than 500 traditional sayings from the Balearic Islands, a heritage element that is gradually being lost over the years. They are an oral heritage that goes beyond folk songs and stories. Traditional sayings, passed down by word of mouth over generations, are a faithful reflection of the way of life and understanding of the world of peasants and sailors. They are short, often ingenious fragments that condense into a few words what is sometimes difficult to convey in a lengthy discourse.

Our vocabulary is full of unique words that can be quite a challenge to translate into another language. A result especially of oral usage, these words transcend ages or generations; most are familiar to everyone and are used in everyday life. Examples include 'tudadiza', 'dajonar', and 'clancha', and they are kept alive through everyday use and oral transmission.

Yes, without context or knowledge of Catalan, a Spanish speaker feels that something is "huff and puff", you'll think the person speaking to you is talking nonsense. In Catalan, the phrase indicates that something is so easy that it can be done without effort, but the image – which has a certain grace and irony – doesn't translate to Spanish. The same thing happens with 'somiatruites'': try to make a version like 'dreams of tortillas' has neither feet nor feet.