Hiraeth (Welsh pronunciation: [hɪraɨ̯θ, hiːrai̯θ][1]) is a Welsh word that has no direct English translation. The University of Wales, Lampeter, likens it to a homesickness tinged with grief and sadness over the lost or departed, especially in the context of Wales and Welsh culture.[2] It is a mixture of longing, yearning, nostalgia, wistfulness or an earnest desire for the Wales of the past.[3]
The Cornish and Breton equivalents are hireth[4] and hiraezh. It is associated with the Amharic-Ethiopian concept of tizita, the German concept of Sehnsucht, the Galician-Portuguese saudade or the Romanian dor.[5] A similar Scottish Gaelic term, cianalas, also refers to a type of longing or homesickness, often used in relation to the Outer Hebrides.
- ^ "How to pronounce hiraeth". geiriadur.net.
- ^ "Hiraeth". Geiriadur Welsh–English / English–Welsh On-line Dictionary. University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
- ^ Boynton, Jessica. "Hiraeth". Eastern Michigan University. Archived from the original on September 12, 2006. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
- ^ "Gerlyver Kernewek |". www.cornishdictionary.org.uk.
- ^ Crossley-Baxter, Lily (15 February 2021). "The untranslatable word that connects Wales". BBC. Retrieved 27 February 2021.