For a change, a German word! And perfect for this time of year, I feel.
Gemuetlichkeit
noun; cosiness, feeling of comfort and warmth, easy-going atmosphere, homeliness
(adjective: gemuetlich)
There are many words in German that create problems when trying to translate them into English… in some cases these German words have thus been adopted into the English language. For example: Zeitgeist, Schadenfreude, kitsch…
In the Disney film The Jungle Book there is that wonderful song “The Bare Necessities“, where Baloo sings about taking things easy and forgetting about your worries. The German version uses this word Gemuetlichkeit (Probier’s mal mit Gemuetlichkeit) which describes the feeling of sitting down with friends and feeling comfortable with them, the world, and life in general. Taking life easy!
Can you think of any German words you use in everyday language?
Words and Herbs 