lufthunger

Swedish[edit]

Compound of luft (“air”) +‎ hunger (“hunger”). Cognate with German Lufthunger (“shortness of breath”).

lufthunger c

A need of air, a strong desire to breathe.
- 2022 July 21, Daniel Hedström, 0:48 from the start, in Lista: Varningssignaler för drunkning [List: Warning signs of drowning]‎^[1], spoken by Mikael Olausson:
  Ganska snart kommer huvudet att sjunka ner under ytan. Då kommer personen att hålla andan, men till slut blir lufthungern för stor och man kommer att ta ett djupt andetag.
  Pretty soon the head will sink below the surface. Then the person will hold their breath, but eventually the need for air will be too great and they will take a deep breath.
A shortness of breath.
- 1927, Sigmund Freud, translated by John Landquist, Drömtydning [The Interpretation of Dreams]‎^[2], page II.34:
  Dörren stängdes genast, demonstrativa repliker växlades om fönstrens öppnande. Sannolikt såg man snart på mig min lufthunger. Det var en het natt, och luften i den på alla håll stängda kupén blev snart så man kunde kvävas.
  The door was immediately closed, demonstrative remarks were exchanged about the opening of the windows. They probably soon saw my shortness of breath. It was a hot night, and the air in the compartment, thus shut on all sides, soon became suffocating.