I
n an interview with William F. Buckley, Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges says a number of things in praise of the English language. He says that English is curious for possessing two "registers": the old English register, and the Latinate register -- for any concept, English will have two different linguistic roots to draw on to communicate that concept, with subtly different tones (think of the difference between "kingly" and "regal"). He says also that English does wonderful things with prepositions. Consider the differences between "pass by", "pass up", "pass over", "pass along", and so on. The prepositions modify the verb in delightfully non-mechanical ways.
Then a last thing he says is that English is a very physical language. This is a bit more mysterious, but I've come to find some interesting examples of what he's talking about. Basically, English seems to grasp certain kinds of physical actions as conceptual units, that can be applied in a variety of semi-metaphorical ways. Consider the verb "to huddle" -- this can mean either a group coming together (we see their heads coming in close to speak quietly), or a single person grasping themselves for warmth. The common idea is a sort "bunching" movement, of separate elements loosely closing in on one another. I suspect that this concept of "huddle" would be difficult to translate as a single term into many other languages. To add a few more to the list: clench, rake, scoot, spring; each of these words is almost onomatopoeic to a native speaker, so directly do the words seem to embody the physicality of the actions. I'm sure many more could be multiplied if I gave it some more thought.