Foreign Word of the Day: Hygge

There are words we need to borrow from other languages.  From Danish and Norwegian, that word of the day is “hygge”.  “Hygge” means the mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality, with feelings of wellness and contentment.  Culturally, “hygge” has similar meaning in Danish and Norwegian. 

The word “hygge” comes from a Danish word meaning “to give courage, comfort, joy”.  “Hygge” stems from “hyggja”, which means “to think”, in Old Norse.  “Hygge” is built from the Old Norse word, “hugr”, “mood”, which later became the word, “hug”, which refers to the soul, mind, consciousness.  However, it is also speculated that “hygge” might have originated directly from the word “hug”.  In this case, “hug” comes from the 1560s word “hugge”, which means “to embrace”, which would also be the origin of the English word, “hug”.  The word, “hugge” is of unknown origin, but is associated with an Old Norse term, “hygge”.  In turn, the word comes from the Germanic word “hugyan”, which is a cognate of the Old English, “hycgan”, meaning “to think, consider”. 

It first appeared in Danish writing in the 19^th century.  It has since evolved into the cultural idea known in Denmark and Norway today.  “Hygge” has exactly the same meaning in Norwegian and Danish, and is a widely used word in both countries, including in its derived forms, such as “hyggelig”.  However, the emphasis, specifically, on “hygge” as an important part of their cultural identity, is mostly a recent Danish phenomenon; in Norway, “hygge” is just a word, similar in status to “cozy” in English.