Wehmut

German

Etymology

From Middle Low German wēmōt, perhaps a backformation from wēmōdich, whence German wehmütig. Analysable as Weh (“woe”) +‎ Mut (“mood, emotional state”). The feminine under influence of the rhyming word Demut (“humbleness”, from Middle High German demüete). From Middle Low German also continental Scandinavian vemod. Dutch weemoed is native but semantically influenced by the German.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈveːˌmuːt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Wehmut f (genitive Wehmut, no plural)

1. melancholia, nostalgia, wistfulness (yearning for the past, homesickness)

   (This entry needs quotations to illustrate usage. If you come across any interesting, durably archived quotes then please add them!)

Related terms

• wehmütig

Further reading

• “Wehmut” in Duden online