Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment. As a cultural category with its sets of associated practices hygge has more or less the same meanings in Danish and Norwegian, but the notion is more central in Denmark than in Norway. The emphasis on hygge as a core part of Danish culture is a recent phenomenon, dating to the late 20th century.
Etymology
The word hygge comes from a Danish word meaning "to give courage, comfort, joy". Hygge stems from hyggja which means to think in Old Norse. Hygge is built from the Old Norse word hugr which later became the hug which means the soul, mind, consciousness. But it is also speculated that hygge might originate from the wordhug. Hug comes from the 1560s word hugge, which means "to embrace". The word hugge is of unknown origin but is highly associated with an Old Norse term, hygga, which means "to comfort", which comes from the word hugr, meaning "mood". In turn, the word comes from the Germanic word hugyan, which is a cognate of the Old Englishhycgan, meaning "to think, consider". It first appeared in Danish writing in the 19th Century and has since evolved into the cultural idea known in Denmark and Norway today. While hygge has exactly the same meaning in Norwegian as in Danish and is a widely used word in both Norway and Denmark, the emphasis specifically on "hygge" as an important part of their cultural identity is mostly a recent Danish phenomenon; in Norway "hygge" is just a word, similar in status to "cozy" in English-speaking countries.
Use
In both Danish and Norwegian, hygge refers to "a form of everyday togetherness", "a pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of safety, equality, personal wholeness and a spontaneous social flow". The noun hygge includes something nice, cozy, safe and known, referring to a psychological state. CollinsEnglish Dictionary defines the word as "a concept, originating in Denmark, of creating cosy and convivial atmospheres that promote wellbeing."
Collins English Dictionary named hygge the runner-up as word of the year in the UK in 2016. This followed a period during which several books focusing on hygge had been marketed in the UK, such as The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking, Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness by Marie Tourell Søderberg, and The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well by Louisa Thomsen Brits. In the Broadway musicalFrozen, there is a song called ‘Hygge’, which is all about being comfortable, happy, and together. In Australian soap operaNeighbours, Jemima Davies-Smythe incorporates hygge into a redesign of her half-brother Karl Kennedy's living room.
Similar words
The Dutch wordgezelligheid has a similar concept to hygge with both pertaining to comfort and cosiness, but is often more socially oriented.
In German Gemütlichkeit means the state of warmth, friendliness and belonging.
The Norwegian adjective ' is used to describe a feeling of warmth, intimacy and getting together in an agreeable environment.
The Swedish adjective ' describes a pleasant and warm atmosphere of togetherness in a pleasant setting.
The Japanese adjective/verb mattari has a similar meaning to be/have a comfortable, calm and pleasant time, but it is also applicable to a situation being alone.
