We live and breathe words. They convey our thoughts and feelings. Sometimes when we try to explain our travel experiences, we are a loss for words. Yes, travel does that to us. Travel mesmerizes us with its beauty and adventure and makes us feel a myriad of emotions that we have never felt before. Incidentally there are quite a few words that convey these feelings and emotions beautifully and perfectly. Check these unusual travel words with beautiful meanings. Ok, these are the words with no English equivalent, so get ready to add these amazing words in your vocab.
1. Resfeber
Origin – Swedish
Definition: The tangled feelings of fear and excitement before a journey begins.
Ah! The nervous excitement as you pack your bags. Experienced that?
2. Novaturient
Origin – Latin
Definition: A desire to alter your life, the feeling that pushes you to travel.
This is something which all ardent travelers experience from time to time.
3. Trouvaille
Origin – French
Definition: Something lovely discovered by chance.
We discovered a quaint little shop that sold Fab India kind of stuff on our way to Sonapani and we went crazy shopping there.
4. Hygge
Origin – Danish
Definition: The cozy feeling of relaxing with friends while having a meal or drinks.
Unwinding with friends at the end of the day is the best part of my vacations.
5. Onism
Origin – Danish
Definition: The awareness of how little of the world you’ll experience.
So many beautiful places to visit, so little time.
6. Selcouth
Origin – Old English
Definition: Strange and uncommon, the way you see things when you travel.
Everything seems different and foreign when you see them with new eyes.
7. Waldeinsamkeit
Origin – German
Definition: The feeling of being alone in the woods.
This reminded me of the tranquility and walking peacefully with myself in a jungle trail at Shoghi.
8. Sehnsucht
Origin – German
Definition: A wistful longing for travels that have been and travels to come
Ah! Another emotion that most of us can relate to.
9. Fernweh
Origin – Latin/French
Definition: Feeling homesick for a place you’ve never been.
I love this word because it puts a name to a feeling I’ve never before been able to describe.
10. Sonder
Origin – Unknown
Definition: The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Fundamentally, we are all the same, everywhere, if only we realize that!
11. Numinous
Origin – Latin
Definition: The powerful, personal feeling of being overwhelmed and inspired.
Every breathtaking view brings this in us and it leaves us with that warm happy feeling.
12. Dérive
Origin – Latin/French
Definition: To drift unplanned, led only by the landscape.
Have you done this?
13. Vagary
Origin – Latin
Definition: A wandering or roaming journey.
Most of our journeys have been like this.
14. Eudaimonia
Origin – Greek
Definition: The contented, happy state you feel when you travel.
I would give anything to experience this feeling, NOW!
15. Solivagant
Origin – Latin
Definition: Wandering alone.
Does this define you?
Have you heard any of these travel words before? Which is your favorite? Do you have one to add to the list? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
26 Responses
I absolutely love this list. I’m going to write a poem for each word. Thank you, for such an unexpected treasure.
Those are beautiful words with such wonderful meanings. I have read Resfeber somewhere, but nothing else from the list. It was interesting knowing their meanings 🙂
Your best post so far (for me) Shilpa. I was in a state of “Eudaimonia” while I was reading these wonderful words and solivagant and happy too:)
A friend uses hugge, especially when she’s had a crazy term at school and she’s on her half-term break and she’s had a few friends over for a meal. She’s a teacher.
Am very familiar with the essence of resfeber, even if it’s the first time I’ve seen this word.
Thank you for a wonderful, wonderful post.
V is for Vintage
Wow! That was amazing ! The only word I knew was Hygge …. and possibly resfeber will be my favourite since I get butterflies before I travel
I was only familiar with Fernweh and Euadaimonia Shilpa- the rest are new to me and thank you for sharing this. Damn sweet words with some crazy apt meanings for travel lovers.
W is for Wildings #atozchallenge
Eudaimonia is surely me, when I travel!
Lovely list of words, Shilpa. Learnt something new today, thanks you you.
HaHaHa. I want to use another ‘German sentence. ich hasse das Reisen. I am not that person. The meaning is “I hate travelling”.
Wow….it felt so good reading this post.
I think I must have felt every word atleast once.
Tongue Twister for W
Unusual in every way. But these words have such a nice subtle touch, of the beauty of travel.
This is a brilliant post Shilpaa and one I want to remember. Hats off to you.
Interesting. Nice to read.
I’m trying to find the equivalents to these words in my language. for some of them, I think it is impossible!
Such unusual words, Shilpa, each of which brings out the wonder of travel! I have only heard of fernweh and hygge. A wonderful and comprehensive list!
Oh such beautiful words! Love the work behind this post, Shilpa! 🙂
That is one interesting list.
Resfeber? I think we can all relate to that one.
Beautiful words, hardly used in routine life. Huge list and interesting too. Those has filled my dictionary now. Thanks for such a wonderful info. Unique info you shared. Keep sharing
A beautiful post, Shilpa. I loved ‘Sehnsucht.’ Now I feel like illustrating all these words … a charming collection of words beautifully described.
Seema, participant in #AtoZchallenge, Artist, Writer, Wanderer, and Dreamer.
Under the Ladakhi Stars – Raku House
Nos. 1,2,4,5,7,9, 11, 13 and 15…I can relate to these.
I remember doing such a post of unusual words last year. It was really interesting and entertaining, as is this post! 🙂
That is a great list. I want to adopt a few for everyday feelings. One I probably can’t relate to–Eudaimonia. Contented while traveling? More like frantic.
The Logophile in me is screaming with joy!
What a treasure! Great compilation. 🙂
Excellent post Shilpa
Thanks for sharing these travel words ☺
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a poem about Waldeinsamkeit. Some great words.
Loved reading this. I truly love such words. But i knew another meaning of ‘Sehnsucht’ … May be it has different interpretations in different contexts.
Reema is doing posts on such beautiful words… Enjoying that too….
Travel, magical travel.
Thanks for sharing these, Shilpa.
Some great words here, the only one we really knew was, Trouvaille, the reason we knew this one, was because we discovered a little town in France, by accident, that we fell in love with, and ended up living there for 5 years! Novaturient is something we feel often, and which has led us to live in Portugal
This is so interesting! I love it! The only one I’ve heard of before is Hygge. I think I’m going to need to write these all down for my next trip and use them.