COZINESS COMES IN MANY FLAVORS

Words you’ll wish to hear more often: 12 feel-good terms worth knowing

Credit: Gordon Plant

It should come as no surprise that in a world that often moves at a relentless pace, the Danish concept of hygge has garnered international attention for encapsulating the essence of coziness and well-being.

As a term with no direct English equivalent, hygge goes beyond mere physical comfort, encompassing a sense of connection, simplicity, and joy. However, the linguistic treasure of our world offers many more words from various languages that share similarities with hygge, each capturing the beauty of finding solace in life's simple pleasures.

Credit: Gaelle Marcel

Let us begin with the word that started this revolution. Originating from Danish culture, hygge encapsulates an entire philosophy of comfort and well-being. The concept revolves around creating a cozy atmosphere, fostering a sense of warmth and contentment through simple pleasures and genuine connections.

Whether it's the warmth of a shared meal or the embrace of loved ones, hygge is an intentional celebration of life's comforting moments. Beyond its mere definition, hygge has become a global phenomenon, influencing lifestyle trends and prompting individuals to adopt its principles, seeking balance and joy in the middle of life's noise.

Credit: Amin Hasani

While hygge might be a Danish word, its concept is a worldwide quest. The Serbian word merak refers to a feeling of bliss and the sense of being one with the universe that comes from the simplest of pleasures. It represents the pursuit of small pleasures that add up to a sense of happiness and fulfillment, a call to stop and smell the roses.

Spending time with a loved one, sitting on your balcony and watching the day go by, or any other activity that puts you in the moment.

Credit: Lukasz Szmigiel

The German term waldeinsamkeit describes the peace experienced in the solitude of the woods. A union of wald (forest) and einsamkeit (solitude), this word combines the deep connection between individuals and nature.

It is a term that goes beyond mere solitude and embraces a profound sense of oneness with the woods, allowing for introspection and rejuvenation. Even more, waldeinsamkeit stands as a testament to the German affinity for this type of environment and the spiritual solace derived from the forest.

Credit: Christopher Jolly

The Croatian term fjaka describes a particular state of mind and being. Originating from the Italian word fiacca, which means "doing nothing", fjaka takes on a unique sense, describing a state of deep relaxation.

It's more than just laziness: It's a surrender to the flow of time, characterized by a sense of peace. Fjaka encourages individuals to take the time to enjoy life and it is an apt description of the Mediterranean philosophy of embracing leisure and finding joy.

Credit: Tom The Photographer

The Armenian term tsavt tanem has more than one meaning depending on the context of the conversation but, in its most literal sense, it means "let me take your pain". It can be said as a way of transmitting sympathy for someone’s difficult situation and is intended to convey tenderness and empathy.

The concept of hygge is represented here in a more spiritual way, in the form of a person giving comfort to another.

Credit: Samantha Gades

Near the place where hygge was invented, the Dutch have a cozy word of their own: gezelligheid. A similar term to hygge, it means being somewhere with nice people, visiting or doing something with others that makes you feel at ease.

You can often hear Dutch people say that their favorite bar is very gezellig. And like hygge, it can be used at any time of the year but is more closely related to fall and winter.

Credit: Alisa Anton

The German language also has a cozy word quite similar to the previous one: gemütlichkeit. This one translates simply as "coziness," but it means much more. It’s a warm feeling of comfort in a friendly atmosphere.

A similar meaning in American English could be found in "homey", in the sense that it refers to everything that reminds us of home.

Credit: Stan B

This Japanese term goes a little deeper than hygge. It translates into "a reason for life," and refers to the broader actions that bring us happiness. For example, does your job fill you with passion and purpose? That is Ikigai. Do your friends fill your life with joy? That is Ikigai as well.

This concept has great importance to the Japanese and it has more to do with a process than with an end in itself. It is considered to be the thing that gets you out of bed each morning.

Credit: Haley Powers

One of the closest linguistic cousins to hygge, not only geographically but conceptually, the Norse word fredagskos translates as "Friday coziness", referring very specifically to that Friday feeling we all know and cherish.

Conceptually, fredagskos is about pure indulgence. Take winter as the perfect excuse to trade a night out for a Friday night in: treat yourself to your favorite comfort food on the sofa or curl up and watch TV with a hot chocolate.

Credit: Kelly Sikkema

Nestle is a verb that transmits a similar vibe to the concept of hygge. We can nestle against someone for comfort, we can nestle a baby in our arms, or we can also nestle in our bed.

The verb itself comes from the Old English nestlian, which means "to build a nest". That idea eventually evolved into the current meaning of "lying close to somebody or something" in search of warmth and comfort.

Credit: Fatty corgi

In a similar but not identical realm to nestle, the word nuzzle may be something a pet does more than an individual, but it still does the trick. It means "to affectionately rub your nose and face against someone," and it does transmit a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Nuzzling is a natural physical expression of love and even watching videos of pets and animals nuzzling conveys a warm feeling that can be very easily associated with coziness.

Credit: Chayene Rafaela

Canoodling is the pleasure we get from enjoying each other’s company. It can be a canoodle with a good friend: whispering, giggling, and just being together. Or, you can also be canoodling with your partner, watching a movie on a cold evening.

The warmth of being close to someone you care deeply about transmits a feeling that can also be compared to the cozy comfort that is conveyed in the very concept of hygge.

LANGUAGE RANKING

The 10 most spoken languages in the world

Credit: Florian Schmetz

Without considering the thousands of dead languages that were forever lost to time, it is currently estimated that there are more than 7,000 actively spoken languages in the world. However, only 23 are spoken by more than half the world’s population.

Lucky languages get to pick the pace of current events, economic transactions, and international talks. But determining which are the most spoken languages isn’t as easy as it sounds. Dialects and local linguistic variants make it difficult to determine the real population of speakers, as the very definition of language and dialect often overlap (and as many sociolinguists point out, a language is just a dialect with an army and navy).

Complicating things further, establishing a difference between native and non-native speakers might also not be as easy a task as it seems. For example, non-native speakers are the reason English is at the top of the charts if the absolute number of speakers is your main metric. But when we prioritize native speakers over non-native ones we find that English only comes third on the list!

In any case, the numbers speak for themselves, and you can draw your own conclusions. And although you will in all likelihood be familiar with most languages in this list, there might be a few surprises ahead.

Credit: William Krause

Total number of speakers: 1,132 billion

Native speakers: 379 million

Non-native speakers: 753 million

English is regarded by many as the Latin or lingua franca of modern times, a universal language that became the default for international relations, politics, tourism, technology, and science. Think of this fact: if you are a bilingual person who happens to speak both English and Spanish, you will be able to easily read and understand over 60% of all content ever published online. And nowadays, if you are an English speaker, it is way more likely that you speak it as a second language, seeing the disparity in numbers between native and non-native speakers.

Credit: Henry & Co.

Total number of speakers: 1,117 billion

Native speakers: 918 million

Non-native speakers: 199 million

Mandarin is the second most widely spoken language in the world, and the most widely spoken if you only count native speakers. The disparity between native and non-native speakers, however - especially when compared to English - illustrates just how difficult learning Mandarin proves for many, even when there is a vast pool of native speakers to spread the language around.

Credit: Sylwia Bartyzel

Total number of speakers: 615 million

Native speakers: 341 million

Non-native speakers: 274 million

As one of the most populated countries in the world, you probably already guessed the main official language of India would be high on this list. However, the enormous linguistic diversity in the region (there are more than 1,600 coexisting languages) explains its high rate of non-native speakers, who use it as a bridge language for trade and other economic activities.

Credit: V2F

Total number of speakers: 534 million

Native speakers: 460 million

Non-native speakers: 74 million

In terms of native speakers, Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world, right after Chinese. Most South American countries speak Spanish, but it is also spoken in some regions of Africa and Asia. Due to immigration, the US is the second country with the largest number of Spanish speakers in the world.

Credit: Chris Karidis

Total number of speakers: 280 million

Native speakers: 77 million

Non-native speakers: 203 million

As with many other European countries, France managed to further its influence in the world mainly through its colonies, and the French language was the little gift it left everywhere for those under its rule. Because of this, today it is the official language of 29 countries on different continents.

Credit: Malik Shibly

Total number of speakers: 274 million

Native speakers: 245 million

Non-native speakers: 29 million

Arabic is a hot contestant among the up-and-coming languages in the world. Serving as the liturgical language of one of the main religions of the world, it reaches beyond just the Arab world and tight communities of immigrants.

However, just like Chinese, Arabic has so many different dialects that it is not always easy for native speakers to fully understand each other, depending on the region where they were born and the associated dialect.

Credit: Rahad Hasan

Total number of speakers: 265 million

Native speakers: 228 million

Non-native speakers: 37 million

With a whopping 265 million speakers, Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh, a small country almost completely encircled by India - except by a tiny shared border with Myanmar. It is also one of the official languages of India and Burma, and although it isn’t as widely spoken as Hindi, the extreme population density of this region makes up for its lack of outward projection.

Credit: Simon Hurry

Total number of speakers: 258 million

Native speakers: 154 million

Non-native speakers: 104 million

No one who ever saw Russia on a map would be surprised by the presence of the Russian language in this top ten. However, being the official language of the single largest country in the world (the Russian Federation spans 11% of the world’s landmass!), one could expect it to be further up on the list. Also, former countries of the Soviet Union usually include Russian as one of their official languages.

Credit: Raphael Nogueira

Total number of speakers: 234 million

Native speakers: 221 million

Non-native speakers: 13 million

Another European language that spread throughout the world during the colonial period, Portuguese is, nowadays, the official language of nine countries in the world, with speakers in Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. However, Brazil is by far the country with the largest amount of native speakers.

Credit: Jeremy Bishop

Total number of speakers: 198 million

Native speakers: 43 million

Non-native speakers: 155 million

Notice the discrepancy between native and non-native speakers. Indonesia is a country with more than 200 languages, and as such official Indonesian is not the native tongue of most Indonesians. It serves mostly as a local lingua franca, vital for transactions and general understanding.

Has any language included in this list surprised you? If you enjoyed our article, don’t leave! We will keep uploading engaging and interesting content relating to words and languages from all over the world.