Gemütlichkeit

Gemütlichkeit (German pronunciation: [ɡəˈmyːtlɪçkaɪt] ) is a German abstract noun that has been adopted into English. Its closest equivalent is the word "coziness"; however, rather than merely describing a place that is compact, well-heated and nicely furnished (a cozy room, a cozy flat), Gemütlichkeit connotes the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the opportunity to spend quality time.

In the 1973 English contract law case Jarvis v Swans Tours Ltd, a holidaymaker sued after not receiving the Gemütlichkeit promised by the promotional literature for a package holiday to the Swiss Alps.

Recent usage

The word can be used in descriptions of holidays. 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[d] community solidarity." The Harlem Renaissance was then cited as of how a sense of Gemütlichkeit arises from a "mix of music, art and politics in service of community consciousness".

A more uncommon use of Gemütlichkeit can be found in reference to the economic policy makers and analysts in the United States involved in influencing the decisions of the board of the Federal Reserve System. With respect to the "inflation dampening effects of globalization", a Georgia Southern University professor writes that interpreting 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".

Similar words in other languages

Somewhat similar is the term gezellig in Dutch. Gezellig is used frequently by Dutch speakers and is one of the most important Dutch words because it describes the ideal cultural setting, one that is cozy and inclusive.

The Swedish equivalent is "gemytligt", derived from the German word and with the same meaning.

There is also a Danish equivalent (hygge [ˈhyɡə]), which basically means the same. Danes will attest the uniqueness of hygge as compared to Gemütlichkeit. Germans, in turn, will attest the uniqueness of Gemütlichkeit as compared to Hygge.

In Norwegian the word translates into "koselig", or "hyggelig".

The Italian word for this concept is "accogliente".

In Russian and Bulgarian, the word commonly translated as cosiness, уют [oˈjut] in Bulgarian and [ʊˈjʉt] in Russian, carries almost identical connotations as the German word.

In Czech, 'pohoda' means cozy, ease, tranquility and well-being. A group of people may have 'pohoda' together.