1. Flânerie
Definition: Aimless strolling or sauntering without a set plan or defined destination; walking at a leisurely pace, simply observing as you’re being taken along.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: French
2. Fernweh
Definition: A longing or craving for distant, far-off places; “homesick” for places you’ve never been to. Literally: farsickness.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: German
3. Alpas
Definition: To become free or untied; to break loose.
Part of Speech: Verb
Origin: Tagalog
4. Novaturient
Definition: Desiring to alter your life; a feeling that pushes you to want to travel.
Part of Speech: Adjective
Origin: Latin
5. Metanoia
Definition: The journey of transforming your mind, heart, self, or way of life.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Greek
6. Yugen
Definition: A deep, profound awareness of the universe; an unfathomable realization that triggers an emotional response.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Japanese
7. Peripatetic
Definition: A person who spends his time walking or traveling from place to place.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Greek
8. Saudade
Definition: A deep, nostalgic, melancholic yearning for something or someone absent; accompanied by the realization that what you’re longing for will never be experienced again.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Portuguese
9. Lebenskünstler
Definition: A “life artist” who is able to deal with any arising problems in a very artful, almost magical manner. Literally: someone who has mastered Lebenskunst (the art of life).
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: German
10. Hygge
Definition: A quality of coziness and comfort accompanied by feelings of well-being, relaxation, contentment and presence; often likened to the feeling of drinking a warm cup of cocoa on a snowy day.
Parts of Speech: Noun, adjective
Origin: Danish
11. Resfeber
Definition: The restless feeling before starting out on a journey; a mix of anxiety, excitement and anticipation.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Swedish
12. Shinrin-yoku
Definition: The practice of going into the woods seeking out a mentally soothing experience; taking in the forest atmosphere with your senses. Literally: “forest bathing.”
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Japanese
13. Nefelibata
Definition: Someone who doesn’t conform to the conventions of society, literature, or art; an unconventional, unorthodox person who lives in the clouds of their own imagination or dreams. Literally: “cloud walker.”
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Portuguese
14. Toska
Definition: A vague sense of unease, sadness, melancholy, nostalgia or yearning; a type of spiritual anguish.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Russian
15. Dérive
Definition: Drifting; a spontaneous, unplanned journey in which the traveler relinquishes control and is guided solely by the landscape and architecture.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: French
16. Rasāsvāda
Definition: The sensation of bliss in the absence of all thought.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: Sanskrit
17. Trouvaille
Definition: A chance encounter with something wonderful; a valuable discovery; a lucky find.
Part of Speech: Noun
Origin: French
[…] This entire list of foreign travel words […]
Interesting list. I’m curious to also know how you discovered these words.
I know the feeling of yugen well. It’s being moved to tears when you watch the sunrise from a mountain top, or suddenly realizing how very small you are when confronted with the vastness of the ocean.
Aw I love these words! I know a little French and an even smaller amount of Spanish but putting these words from all different languages is such a good idea. Alpas is a great one!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
[…] and learn. Just like Socrates before him, Aristotle conducted his lectures to his students, the peripatetics, while walking the grounds of the Lyceum with his books in hand. The early Greek philosophers […]
[…] 17 Eye-Opening Travel Words From Foreign Languages (For the Journey) […]
[…] 17 Eye-Opening Travel Words From Foreign Languages (For the Journey) […]