Wanderlust
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wanderlust is a loanword from German to English that designates a strong desire for or impulse to wander,[1] or, in modern usage, to travel and to explore the world.[2]
[edit] Etymology
The word came into English in 1875[1] or 1902[3] as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering that may be traced back to German romanticism and the German system of apprenticeship.
The term forms from the German words wandern (to hike) and Lust (desire). The term wandern is frequently misused as a false cognate, it in fact does not mean "to wander", but rather "to hike". Placing the two words together translates to "to enjoy hiking", although is commonly described as an enjoyment of strolling or wandering.
In German the term has become somewhat obsolete. A more contemporary equivalent for the English wanderlust in the sense of "love of travel" would be Fernweh (literally "an ache for the distance").
The initial letter of the term is always capitalized in German ("Wanderlust") but usually written in lower case in English ("wanderlust").
