hyggelig
Hyggelig (originally Danish and Norwegian ['hygəli], Germanized [' hʏgəliç] or, probably by analogy to hilly , ['hyːgəliç]) is an adjective that is often used in Danish and Norwegian , which literally means "cozy", "pleasant" , Means "nice" and "good". In addition, hyggelig also has other, consistently positive connotations such as "safe", "intimate", "cozy", "in the home of your dreams", "lovely", "picturesque", "comforting", "small but nice", "cute". Comprehending these meanings, the term is often used in the sense of “typically Danish”, also by Danes themselves as a national stereotype.
In German the word is occasionally used as a Danism .
Word origin
Going back to the noun hu ("sense", "thought"), hyggelig originally meant "carefully", "thoughtful" in Danish, but today it is out of date in these meanings ("careful" is omhyggelig ). Since the 19th century it has been used to mean "well-being" and a little later, under Norwegian or Swedish influence, it could also be applied to people.
Hygge is both a verb and a noun and an adjective (hyggelig). Hygge has clearly exceeded the original meaning of "cherish", "spread well-being". About the idea that z. For example, a good book can be comforting, "hygge yourself" in Danish with distracting reading ( at hygge sig , "comfort yourself", "do something good for yourself").
The negation of hyggelig is uhyggelig ("un-hyggelig") and can be used to denote anything from slight discomfort to disaster. As an understatement to avoid curses, the litotes “anything but hyggelig” ( old andet end hyggeligt ) is used.
Development towards Danism
The properties and connotations associated with the term are seen by many Danes as part of a national idiosyncrasy. Accordingly, the word is also used by non-Danes to characterize the Danish mentality:
“The love of hygge and the need for it is an important part of the Danish mentality. [...] It is the art of creating intimacy, a feeling of close friendship, serenity and contentment, all combined in one term. "
Accordingly, the term is mostly used in German to create a Scandinavian color typical of the country, such as in "The rooms are extremely cozy - 'hyggelig', as the Danes say".
literature
- Meik Wiking: Hygge - An attitude towards life that simply makes you happy . Lübbe Verlag, 2016, ISBN 978-3-431-03976-4 .
- Signe Johansen: How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life. St. Martin's Griffin, 2017.
- Marie Tourell Søderberg: Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness. Penguin Books, 2017.
- Louisa Thomsen Brits: The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Contentment, Comfort, and Connection. Plume, 2017.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Langenscheidt (2002), Euro-Dictionary Danish . 6th edition Berlin [u. a.]: Langenscheidt.
- ↑ from: Meik Wiking: Hygge - An attitude to life that simply makes you happy. P. 28 (see literature).
- ↑ Kristian Hvidt (2002), You and Us. Denmark from abroad - from 845 to 2001 . Copenhagen: Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ISBN 87-7964-343-4 .
- ↑ Michael Pasdzior (2005), time travel to historical Denmark . Abendblatt.de