Hiraeth

Hiraeth (pronounced [hiraɪ̯θ]) is a Welsh concept of longing for home. 'Hiraeth' is a word which cannot be completely translated, meaning more than solely "missing something" or "missing home." It implies the meaning of missing a time, an era, or a person - including homesickness for what may not exist any longer. It is associated with the bittersweet memory of missing something or someone, while being grateful of that/ their existence. It can also be used to describe a longing for a homeland, potentially of your ancestors, where you may have never been. Similarly, the Cornish and Breton equivalents are ‘hyreth’ and ‘hiraezh’; Welsh, Cornish and Breton share common linguistic roots. Hiraeth bears considerable similarities with the Portuguese concept of saudade (a key theme in Fado music), Galician morriña, Asturian señardá, Romanian dor, Gaelic cianalas, Russian toska (тоска), German Sehnsucht and Ethiopian tizita (ትዝታ).

External links

• Hiraeth Smith College: Kahn Liberal Arts Institute
• BBC Wales - Arts - Hiraeth
• Homesickness for a Place That Doesn't Exist