Wednesday 25 February 2009

Solastalgia

I first heard our friend Geraldine mention the word solastalgia, which, according to TreeHugger means: 
"a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at home," according to Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht; in essence, it's pining for a lost environment. It's the mashup of the roots solacium (comfort) and algia (pain), which, when combined, forms a term (and an idea) reminiscent of nostalgia.

Coined from responses from interviews Albrecht conducted over the past few years, the word describes Australians' deep (and growing) sense of loss as they watch the landscape around them change. "They no longer feel like they know the place they've lived for decades," he says.

4 comments:

Di said...

Good word Meg. I'm pretty sure it's one of the things I'm feeling - things fall apart; foundations rattle.

Thanks for your info posts about the fires and the photos. They're helpful for us over here in Trentham.

Good luck.

Permapoesis said...

i have a good dose of it now, as well as Megstalgia.

Meg said...

Di, it was so lovely to catch a glimpse of you in your car the other day.

We are thinking of you. Sending you much love.

xx

Anonymous said...

A great word! Thanks Meg.

Thinking of you, PJ and Z and your sister and her family.

Regrdas from winter!