ghostsinyourbed: unicornology: buyhercandy: paperflowers: myundergrounddiary:
Mamihlapinatapei: from Yagan, the indigenous language of the Tierra del Fuego region of South America. This word has been translated in several ways in English, always implying a wordless yet meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something but are both reluctant to start.
Tingo: From the Pascuense language of Easter Island, it is the act of taking objects one desires from the house of a friend by gradually borrowing all of them.
The suggestions in the comments are pretty great too —
Habseligkeiten (German): the stuff a child regards as treasures (but what might be junk in the eyes of adults)
Cafuné (B. Portuguese): isn’t quite as simple as “tenderly running one’s fingers through hair”… It comes from the slaves’ practice of grooming one another to remove nits and, done correctly–with or without the presence of said hair lice–produces a satisfying “crack”! It’s a beautiful and caring way of expressing affection to a loved one.
Dor (Romanian): longing for someone you love very much, combined with sadness, and the need for singing sad songsSaudade (B. Portuguese): “the belief we will one day feel the same we felt before…” (wikipedia: a feeling of nostalgic longing for something or someone that one was fond of and which is lost)
Lagom (Swedish): “not too much and not too little, just right, in moderation.” My Swedish roommate told me this is the philosophy that Swedes try to live by. (wikipedia: “It’s the idea that for everything there is the perfect amount: The perfect, and best, amount of food, space, laughter and sadness.” Whereas words like “sufficient” suggest some degree of scarcity, lagom connotes perfection or appropriateness.)
Fraureichtgebahr (German): he who always says a woman is right in order to avoid problemsGemütlichkeit (German). That for me is a type of sensation of shared good times, such as times shared in highly satisfying experiences, as I first learned of it while skiing. I have that feeling during and after skiing with friends, perhaps including sharing a few après-ski beers and some food in the lodge. (wikipedia: the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the opportunity to spend quality time)
Hyggelig / Hygge (Danish): a feeling or mood that comes from taking genuine pleasure in making ordinary everyday things simply extraordinary. It’s about owning things you only truly love or that inspire, being present in yourself and your life, putting effort into your home without being Martha Stewart. Words like cosiness, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, fellowship, simpleness and living well are often used to describe the idea of hygge (via).
