Nostalgia

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /nɒˈstæld͡ʒə/

Definitions

1. A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations
2. A complex emotional state characterized by a longing for the past that encompasses both fond memories and a sense of loss, invoking cherished experiences and feelings associated with previous times or places
3. A complex emotional experience involving a yearning for the past, often reflecting a blend of joyful memories and a profound sense of loss associated with former times or places

Etymology: In 1688, Johannes Hofer, a Swiss medical student at Basel, wrote a Latin dissertation on a condition he called "nostalgia," describing homesick soldiers and servants who wasted away from longing for home. He built the term from two Greek words: "nóstos," meaning "returning home," and "álgos," meaning "pain." It was a deliberate coinage, a medical label for a disease he believed had physical symptoms. Hofer's word was effectively a translation of German "Heimweh" ("homesickness"), so the new term captured the same feeling in Greek dress. Greek itself never had the word; "nostalgía" is a modern formation, and no ancient writer used it. The sense shifted over the following centuries. What began as a diagnosable illness of exile became, through literature especially, a wistful yearning for any lost past, whether or not one had ever left home. The French "nostalgie" likely helped drive that change.

Synonyms: sentimentality, wistfulness, longing, homesickness, reminiscence

Antonyms: indifference, apathy, disinterest