Sneeze
Sneezing ( latin sternutio when repeatedly: sternutatio ) is formed by a sneeze on the sneezing reflex triggered, involuntary and explosive ejection of air through the nose , often at the same time through the mouth . Sneezing removes nasal secretions , dust, and other foreign objects from the nose. The sneeze itself is triggered by irritation of the nasal mucosa. Other possible triggers for sneezing are bright light ( photic sneezing reflex ) or sexual arousal. When sneezing, pathogens can be transmitted through droplet infection .
Cause and sequence
Sneezing is usually triggered by sensitive stimuli from the nasal mucous membranes (more precisely: in the second branch of the trigeminal nerve ). A reflexive , complex and motor response is immediately triggered, which requires the coordination of breathing and laryngeal muscles as well as the muscles of the mouth and throat .
Sneezing takes place in three phases. In the first phase, air is inhaled deeply. After the breath has been briefly held (second phase), the expiratory muscles of the stomach and chest suddenly contract in the third phase . The inhaled air is expelled through the nose and / or mouth. The air can reach speeds of over 160 km / h (45 m / s) in humans.
regional customs
origin
Since sneezing was viewed as beneficial to health (especially in the past artificially increased by sneezing powder , cf. for example the "herb sneezing pleasure" in Wilhelm Hauff's fairy tale The Dwarf Nose ) and means stimulating the breath, which was originally considered to be the bearer of the soul, there are all kinds of " superstitious “ideas and rituals associated with it. In Homer, for example, one finds the "Zuniesen" several times as an affirmation of statements under divine influence (Telemachus "sneezes" it out loud when his mother Penelope promises Odysseus, who are still unrecognized by them, that he will return home soon; Od. 17, 539-551. Cf. also: Xenophon, Anabasis, 3: 2, 9). Around 1950 (older people and familiar to this day), for example in Vienna, people said to a sneeze (half ritualized) “Help God that it is true!” - namely something that the speaker or another person had just said ; But if no one had said anything, you asked for fun: “Yes what?” and the answer was: “What I just thought [of you].” It goes without saying that things can be said about the unconscious in this way Expressions that are not (yet) “clear” to anyone else. Sneezing could also be seen as a cleansing action of the breath of life, so that sneezing powder use was also recommended for (supposedly threatening) “madness” (documents in and then especially under “ hellebore ”). Sternutatory (Sternutatoria even caputpurgia) , as produced using the hellebore, originally found therapeutic application within the meaning of humoral pathology .
In modern (“enlightened”) times, in some cultures, reminiscent of the above, for reasons of politeness, it is expected that either the sneezing person or other people present recite a saying. The origin of this custom has not yet been fully clarified. One theory is that during the plague , people believed that the then fatal disease began with a sneeze. The superstition then led to the fact that one wanted to protect the sneezing person or oneself from the possible disaster with the desired formula. Others see the wish formula based on an Indo-European belief that, since humans have a kind of air or breathing soul (cf. also Atman ), this soul could be thrown out of the body when sneezing, which is to be prevented with a magic formula. Another rumor has it that this custom was originally intended to protect those who express a wish such as health from illness through infection from sneezing. Most likely, however, it is indeed desired that the sneezer not suffer serious illness, as it is commonly understood today. However, this ritual can also be perceived as indiscreet, because it refers directly to sneezing. According to knigge.de , both the sneezing person and other people present should silently ignore a sneeze, but a short "excuse" is appropriate if those present are startled by the sneeze.
In the literature, the desire for health has only been documented since the first half of the 19th century. In earlier times the saying was God help! or help God! The German word "Gesundheit" is often used in the USA.
Ethnological
There is an equivalent of the “health!” Blessing in the usual English formula God bless you! (usually for short Bless you! ), which literally means “God bless you!”. The German word “Gesundheit!” Is also common in the United States . The German blessing has been documented there since 1933 and has since been used, sometimes as slapstick , preferably in comics , cartoons and anime series . However, the exclamation “Health!” Seems to enjoy an almost elitist position in higher American society : In a popular cartoon, a truck driver complains to his buddy that nobody in this area says a “Good morning!” To the other "How are you?" Or at least offer a "Health!" This and similar examples seem to show that the statement at a suitable opportunity in the United States as a sign of level and sophistication is understood and welcomed accordingly.
In Austria, where traditionally “Help you God!” (In different dialectal sounds) is said, “It should tear it up (and your wallet should hit me)” is also jokingly said (also dialectically).
In Latin America, repeated sneezes result in a cascade of good wishes: salud (“health”) the first, dinero (“money”) the second and amor (“love”) the third.
The phrase Jesus can be heard in Spain . This has its origin in the superstition that the soul can leave the body when sneezing. Jesus is supposed to prevent this by reciting the wish formula.
In Portugal you can hear Santinhas what so much as "All Saints may be with you!" To mean.
Such formulas are less common in France; after all, one can sometimes hear an à vos / tes souhaits “wish you something / wish you something”. Also is expected in some regions of France that the Sneezing itself pardon ( "Sorry") says after sneezing. In French-speaking Switzerland - probably based on the German- Swiss model - santé! ("Health!") Quite common. The “health” is pronounced in Swiss German. In Graubünden Switzerland they say “viva” in Rumantsch, which means “live”.
In Albania one says to someone who is not friendly: Plaq! (pronounced: “Splash”), in German: “Burst! / You should burst!”, otherwise the standard form of “Health!” is used, in Albanian: Shëndet!
In Turkey they say çok yaşa to the sneezer , wishing the sneezer to live long, literally “live a lot”. Then the sneezer replies sen de gör , which literally means “you see too”. With this, the sneezer wishes the other that he will live long too. In the past, a short prayer was said for the sneezing person: Allah'ın rahmeti üzerinde olsun! which translated into German means "may God's grace / blessing be with you!" The person sneezing can answer the prayer with an "amine" (Eng. Amen).
In Arab and Islamic countries, the sneezing Muslim says the prayer formula: Al-hamdu-lillah , which means “Praise be to Allah” or “Thank God”. Those present respond with Yar-hamuk-Allah , "Allah / God may (you) have mercy". The sneezer responds with the formula Yahdikum-Allah wa yuslih balakum (“May Allah guide you and improve your affairs”) or Yehdina wa yehdikumullah (“May God guide you and us”). These sayings go back to the Prophet Mohammed and are also followed by religious or devout Muslims.
In East Asia, the belief is widespread that at the time of sneezing, people are talking about or thinking of someone who sneezes in another place (see also under hiccups !). In Chinese, the saying is therefore yǒu rén xiǎng nǐ ( Chinese 有人 想 你 ), which means something like: “Somebody thinks of you” or “Somebody misses you.” This belief has become a popular stylistic device in East Asian film productions and mostly accompanies it humorous a change of scene from speaking to sneezing.
In ancient Rome the saying was “Jupiter protect you”, which could also be used by sneezing on themselves, in the sense of “Jupiter protect me”. Or one simply wished salve (be healthy!).
Even with the sneezing process itself there are different onomatopoeic expressions depending on the language area , as long as these are not suppressed: if German native speakers express themselves with "hatschi" when sneezing, this process is, for example, in the English- speaking area by the expression "ahchoo", in French by "atchoum ", In Italian with " eccì " or " ecciù ", in the Polish- speaking area through " apsik ", in Slovak with " hapchee ", in Romanian with " hapciu ", in Russian with " apchkhee ", in Turkish with " hapshoo ", in Hebrew by "apchee", in Japanese with "hakushon", in the Malay-speaking area "hachi", in Filipino by "ha-ching" and by Tamils with "hach" .
phylogenesis
The sneezing "reflex" (not a real reflex, because neural too complex and partly can be influenced at will; for example, there are instructions on how to suppress it, if necessary - by pressing the philtrum with a finger or through Pressing the palate with the tongue) only occurs in tetrapods , as only these have a functionally continuous connection between the nose and throat (to the lungs). In fish, the snapping, which sometimes looks like a yawn, could have a similar function (blowing out the nasal cavity). How widespread real sneezing is in terrestrial vertebrates has not yet been researched.
See also
literature
- Susanne Jahn: German words in the USA. Diplomica, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-8366-5743-0 .
- Thomas Schürmann: Table and greeting customs in the civilization process (= contributions to folk culture in Northwest Germany. Issue 82). Waxmann, Münster / New York 1994, ISBN 3-89325-233-9 , pp. 213-220: Chapter 12 Blessings while sneezing ( lwl.org PDF; 47 MB; 308 pages).
- Peter P. Urban: Diseases of the brain stem. Clinic - diagnostics - therapy. Schattauer, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 3-7945-2478-0 .
Web links
- South Australian Department of Health: The sneeze. In: YouTube . April 8, 2009, accessed October 30, 2013 (1.5 minutes: high-speed footage of the Sneeze).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Message: Sneezing “can be sign of arousal”. In: BBC News . December 19, 2008, accessed July 15, 2014.
- ↑ Peter P. Urban: Diseases of the brain stem. P. 167.
- ^ Gesundheitsfoerderung-zh.ch
- ↑ labbe.de
- ↑ Gesundheit.de
- ↑ Sneezing. In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 13 : N, O, P, Q - (VII). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1889, Sp. 835-836 ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).
- ^ Karl Sudhoff : A German instruction on the medicinal use of the hellebore (Helleborus) from the 14th century. In: Sudhoffs Archiv 1, 1908, p. 446 f.
- ^ Henri Leclerc: Les sternutatories à travers les siècles. In: Janus 21, 1916, pp. 254-262.
- ↑ Knigge - Health
- ↑ Health 3 d) (β). In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 5 : Gefoppe – Drifts - (IV, 1st section, part 2). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1897, Sp. 4334 ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).
- ↑ R. Brasch: Three black hangovers, superstitions, customs and habits. Wiesbaden 1979, p. 86.
- ↑ Susanne Jahn: German words in the USA. Pp. 58, 59.
- ^ KE Georges: Large Latin Dictionary. 1913.
- ↑ Emma Tracey: Why deaf people sneeze silently. BBC News, July 5, 2013, accessed October 29, 2017 .