---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I read once that the ancient Egyptians…"
description: "\"I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/brian-andreas-2615_ancient_i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-h_3064302.png"
---

#  I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for…

![“I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand &amp; the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep &amp; there are no words for that.” quote by Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/brian-andreas-2615_ancient_i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-h_3064302.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/brian-andreas-2615_ancient_i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-h_3064302.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/brian-andreas-2615_ancient_i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-h_3064302.png)

> “I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand &amp; the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep &amp; there are no words for that.”

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker wishes for many words to describe love, but finds it indescribable, like sand or snow.

**In simple terms:** Love is beyond language.

Key Takeaway

Express love through actions, not words.

Themes

love language ineffability

Mood

romantic reflective

Type

personal artistic

When to use this quote

- relationships
- poetry
- artistic expression

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you show love without words?
- What non‑verbal gestures matter?

A Different Perspective

Words can still convey feeling.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient egyptian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-egyptian/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Lost love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snow/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/)

## Related quotes

> [I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand and the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-had-fifty-words-for-sand-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“She remembered reading somewhere that Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. Eleanor wished there were a hundred ways to say her name. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-palmieri/she-remembered-reading-somewhere-that-eskimos-had-a-hundred-words-for/)

[Suzanne Palmieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-palmieri/)

> [“The Eskimos may have a hundred words for snow, but at that moment, I only had two: Fuck. Yeah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auralie-vierge/the-eskimos-may-have-a-hundred-words-for-snow-but-at-that-moment-i/)

Auralie Vierge

> [The Eskimos have four hundred words for snow, and the Jewshave four hundred for schmuck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-eskimos-have-four-hundred-words-for-snow-and-the-jewshave-four/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [ The thing with 50 Words of Snow is that it was literally back-to-back from Director's Cut \[also released in 2011\]. It was more or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/the-thing-with-50-words-of-snow-is-that-it-was-literally-back-to-back/)

[Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/)

> [The Eskimos have 52 words for snow because it is so special to them; there ought to be as many for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-eskimos-have-52-words-for-snow-because-it-is-so-special-to-them/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [50 Words of Snow just didn't seem to have the complications that quite a lot of albums have. It felt to me like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/50-words-of-snow-just-didn-t-seem-to-have-the-complications-that/)

[Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/)

> [If eskimos can come up with fifty words for snow because its a matter of life and death, why do we have just one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gayle/if-eskimos-can-come-up-with-fifty-words-for-snow-because-its-a-matter/)

[Mike Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gayle/)

> [“A few said they'd be horses. Most said they'd be some sort of cat. My friend said she'd like to come back as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/a-few-said-they-d-be-horses-most-said-they-d-be-some-sort-of-cat-my/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“Start here &amp; go until you die, he said. What's so complicated about that? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/start-here-go-until-you-die-he-said-what-s-so-complicated-about-that/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [I've always like the time before dawn because there's no one around to remind me who I'm supposed to be, so it's easier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-ve-always-like-the-time-before-dawn-because-there-s-no-one-around/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“What I'm mostly good at is sleeping, he once told me in confidence, but he added, I don't see much future in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/what-i-m-mostly-good-at-is-sleeping-he-once-told-me-in-confidence-but/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“Your job is to focus on my personal happiness, she said, &amp; I've got big plans, so break time is over. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/your-job-is-to-focus-on-my-personal-happiness-she-said-i-ve-got-big/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“I'm not sure if there's one right place I'm supposed to be, he said, but I know a couple of wrong places I'd give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-m-not-sure-if-there-s-one-right-place-i-m-supposed-to-be-he-said/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“I don't really like coffee, she said, but I don't really like it when my head hits my desk when I fall asleep either. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-don-t-really-like-coffee-she-said-but-i-don-t-really-like-it-when/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

## More by Brian Andreas

> [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“She said she usually cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful &amp; life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/she-said-she-usually-cried-at-least-once-each-day-not-because-she-was/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“When I die, she said, I am coming back as a tree with deep roots and I'll wave my leaves to the children every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/when-i-die-she-said-i-am-coming-back-as-a-tree-with-deep-roots-and-i/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“She left pieces of her life behind her everywhere she went. It's easier to feel the sunlight without them, she said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/she-left-pieces-of-her-life-behind-her-everywhere-she-went-it-s/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“Brian Andreas Promise #1: Promises to Myself #1: I will tell the truth unless I get confused &amp; I think I could get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/brian-andreas-promise-1-promises-to-myself-1-i-will-tell-the-truth/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“One time I was standing on a corner in Chicago &amp; a man stopped his car &amp; asked for directions to a place I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/one-time-i-was-standing-on-a-corner-in-chicago-a-man-stopped-his-car/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“One Child: I hope it will be said we taught them to stand tall &amp; proud, even in the face of history &amp; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/one-child-i-hope-it-will-be-said-we-taught-them-to-stand-tall-proud/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“Smaller World: I know he's not really gone, she said, but the world still feels smaller to me today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/smaller-world-i-know-he-s-not-really-gone-she-said-but-the-world/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“Quiet Prayer: As long as the sun shall rise goes the old lovers vow. But we are children of a scientific age &amp; have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/quiet-prayer-as-long-as-the-sun-shall-rise-goes-the-old-lovers-vow/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“I don't really like coffee, she said, but I don't really like it when my head hits my desk when I fall asleep either. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-don-t-really-like-coffee-she-said-but-i-don-t-really-like-it-when/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [I like geography best, he said, because your mountains &amp; rivers know the secret. Pay no attention to boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-like-geography-best-he-said-because-your-mountains-rivers-know-the/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“She waved at all the people on the train &amp; later, when she saw they didn't wave back, she started singing songs to herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/she-waved-at-all-the-people-on-the-train-later-when-she-saw-they-didn/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“I have too much to lose, she said, if I cross that line. Like what? I said. She could not think of anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-have-too-much-to-lose-she-said-if-i-cross-that-line-like-what-i/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [Opening a door to the mysteries, hoping to shed a little dark on all the stuff we think we know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/opening-a-door-to-the-mysteries-hoping-to-shed-a-little-dark-on-all/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [I don't blame you for everything, she told me. Just the stuff my friends &amp; I can agree on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-don-t-blame-you-for-everything-she-told-me-just-the-stuff-my/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

[Explore all 157 Brian Andreas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

## More Ancient quotes

> [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [I don't know if I've come of age, but I'm certainly older now. I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/)

[Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/)

> [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/)

[Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/)

> [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/)

[Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/)

> [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/)

[Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/)

> [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/)

[Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/)

> [All the stories I have told you are finally as useless as all ancient knowledge is to man and to us. Its images and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/all-the-stories-i-have-told-you-are-finally-as-useless-as-all-ancient/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/)

[Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/)

[Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Brian Andreas"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-had-fifty-words-for-sand-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ancient"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-had-fifty-words-for-sand-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/brian-andreas-2615_ancient_i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-h_3064302.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/brian-andreas-2615_ancient_i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-h_3064302.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/brian-andreas-2615_ancient_i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-h_3064302.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow…” — Brian Andreas",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Brian Andreas",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I read once that the ancient...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-had-fifty-words-for-sand-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-read-once-that-the-ancient-egyptians-had-fifty-words-for-sand-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
