Heimweh

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English

Etymology

From German Heimweh.

Noun

Heimweh (uncountable)

  1. (uncountable, rare) Homesickness.
    • 1908 December 12, Harry Davids, Tom Springer, “Christmas Sorrows”, in Alfred Holman, editor, The Argonaut, volume LXIII, number 1655, San Francisco, Calif.: Argonaut Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 397, column 1:
      For the long trail stretched before us, for we heard the call, / Left the hearthstone and the homeland, felt the rover's thrall; / Wandered to the far horizon, sought the joy of life— / Now the wanderlust is waning, heimweh now is rife.

German

Etymology

Heim +‎ Weh. Originally a medical term in Switzerland. Cognate to Alemannic German Häiwee, Bavarian Haimweh (Upper Austrian), Low German Heimweih.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhaɪ̯mˌveː/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: Heim‧weh

Noun

Heimweh n (strong, genitive Heimwehes or Heimwehs, no plural)

  1. homesickness
    Antonym: Fernweh

Declension

Descendants

  • Danish: hjemve
  • Dutch: heimwee (calque)
  • English: Heimweh, homesickness (calque)
  • German Low German: Heemweh (calque)
  • New Latin: nostalgia (calque)

Further reading

  • Heimweh” in Duden online
  • Heimweh” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache