Lore

petrichor

/ˈpɛt.rɪ.kɔːr/

noun

The pleasant, earthy scent that rises from dry soil when the first drops of rain begin to fall.

Origin

From Greek petra, stone, and īchōr, the rarefied fluid said to flow through the veins of the gods. Coined in 1964 by Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Grenfell Thomas.

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sonder

/ˈsɒn.də/

noun

The realisation that each stranger's life is as vivid and complex as your own.

Origin

Coined by John Koenig. From French sonder, to probe or plumb.

hiraeth

/hɪəˈraɪθ/

noun

A Welsh longing for home — one that may never have existed, or can never be returned to.

Origin

Welsh. From hir, long, and aeth, grief or longing.

vellichor

/ˈvɛl.ɪ.kɔːr/

noun

The strange wistfulness of used bookshops, as if time moves differently between old pages.

Origin

Coined by John Koenig. From Latin vellum, parchment.

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