''Gemütlichkeit'' () is a
German-language
German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It is a ...
word used to convey the idea of a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness, 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
"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
In grammar, a noun is a word that represents a concrete or abstract thing, like living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, and ideas. A noun may serve as an object or subject within a phrase, clause, or sentence.Example ...
''Gemütlichkeit'' has been adopted into English. 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. In the 1973
English contract law
English contract law is the body of law that regulates legally binding agreements in England and Wales. With its roots in the lex mercatoria and the activism of the judiciary during the Industrial Revolution, it shares a heritage with countries ...
case ''
Jarvis v Swans Tours Ltd
is an English contract law case on the measure of damages for disappointing breaches of contract.
Facts
Mr. Jarvis was a solicitor for Barking Council. He chose to go for a Christmas holiday to Switzerland. The brochure from Swan Tours Ltd a ...
'', 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
community solidarity."
''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
Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...
" 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".
See also
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Quality time
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Lagom
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Simple living
Simple living refers to practices that promote simplicity in one's lifestyle. Common practices of simple living include reducing the number of possessions one owns, depending less on technology and services, and spending less money. In addition t ...
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Slow movement
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gemütlichkeit
German words and phrases
Words and phrases with no direct English translation
Pleasure
Mental states