Gemütlichkeit
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Gemütlichkeit (German pronunciation: [ɡəˈmyːtlɪçkaɪt] ⓘ) is a German-language word used to convey the idea of a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness,[1] and good cheer. Other qualities encompassed by the term include cosiness, peace of mind, and a sense of belonging and well-being springing from social acceptance. The adjective "gemütlich" is translated as "cosy", so "Gemütlichkeit" could be simply translated as "cosiness".
History and etymology
[edit]"Gemütlichkeit" derives from gemütlich, the adjective of Gemüt, which means "heart, mind, temper, feeling" expressed by (and cognate with) English mood. The German abstract noun Gemütlichkeit has been adopted into English.[2] The current meaning of the word derives from its use in the Biedermeier period. By the second half of the 19th century, it also became associated with a set of traits supposedly unique to the Austrian culture.
The word can be used in descriptions of holidays.[3] In the 1973 English contract law case Jarvis v Swans Tours Ltd, a holidaymaker sued after not receiving the Gemütlichkeit promised by the promotional literature for a package holiday to the Swiss Alps.
The communal connotations of Gemütlichkeit are also emphasized in some uses of the term. For example, one academic described it as a tradition of "public festivity" (in the form of a "mixture of music, food, and drink"), which "promote[d] community solidarity."[4]
Gemütlichkeit has been appropriated at least once to describe the tenor of an economic era rather than spirit of a social gathering. In analyzing the "inflation dampening effects of globalization" an American professor wrote that certain U.S. economic trends could "spell an end of the Gemütlichkeit — a situation in which cheap labor and money abroad as well as ever-increasing productivity at home had permitted an uninterrupted spell of controlled growth in overall prices".[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Gemütlichkeit". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010). Oxford Dictionary of English (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
- ^ Benjamin Lytal (2004-12-01). "Recent Fiction". The New York Sun. Archived from the original on 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
Ms. Bielski's novel [The Year is '42] is quite good, a quick read that seems in sync with holiday Gemutlichkeit and holiday sadness.
- ^ John Fairfield (2006-10-05). Gemutlichkeit in Harlem: Modern Liberalism and the City. Annual meeting of the American Studies Association, Oct 12, 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ Michael Reksulak (2007-06-09). "Rising costs of necessities signal an end of Gemütlichkeit". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
External links
[edit]
The dictionary definition of gemütlichkeit at Wiktionary
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