Fernweh as a Cultural Key Word. A Cross-Cultural Linguistic Analysis Using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM)

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject Speech Science / Linguistics, grade: High Distinction, 92%, 1,0, University of Newcastle (Faculty of Education and Arts), course: Cross-Cultural Linguistics, language: English, abstract: "Fernweh" functions as a cultural key word for a whole generation of young Germans travelling the world. This short linguistic analysis examines the meanings and connotations of Fernweh, attempting to make the concept accessible to non-German speakers.

Work and travel, au pair, semester abroad: more and more young Germans leave their home country to spend up to one year abroad. The more remote a destination, the more appealing the trip. This often leaves the older generations speechless. The young people's urge to travel can be best described with the key word "Fernweh", a feeling which lacks an adequate English translation. According to Christiane Kraft Alsop, the English word "wanderlust" that can be found in dictionaries fails to account for the complete scope of the feeling of Fernweh as it emphasises that the longing to travel is only a temporary one. Furthermore, the root "lust" suggests a strongly positive feeling.

"Fernweh", in contrast, not only can be triggered and answered in many different ways but also encompasses a high diversity of things someone might be longing for and a high range of feelings connected to this longing.