A Nest is a nest, and Wärme means "warmth." Put the two together and you get a word for the sense of safety and psychological comfort a family provides, especially for children (provided, of course, that the family is not dysfunctional). The term can also be used in a more general meaning to denote the comfort and sense of belonging a tightly-knit group may provide for its members.
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3 comments:
I know this feeling from when my cat sleeps at my head and my dog sleeps on my feet. But as usual, I didn't have a word for it. However, now I do.
Love the photo.
I have yet to see a non-dysfunctional family. The only (fictional, of course) exception is the family of the notorious Winslow Boy. I watch the movie (old version or new) whenever my son p...es me off. Another anomaly - they tamed even David Mamet!
@Heika: This is the Walt Whitman quote my wife gave me the other day: "I think I could turn and live with the animals, they are so placid and self contained..." Your comment reminds me of it.
@avidreader: There is a reason why I put in the proviso about dysfunctional families: I was very much aware, when I wrote the explanation, that Nestwärme, as a concept, appears overly optimistic when it comes to the role of family in a person's life.
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