Schadenfreude in other languages

Ron Kuzar kuzar at RESEARCH.HAIFA.AC.IL
Sun May 4 05:45:05 UTC 1997


------- Crossposted COGLING & FUNKNET --------
I have been asked to forward the following question to these two lists:

[...] we focus on semantics and try to see if it says anything about
cultural differences in social values. This is where i would like your
advice: Do you think there is an expression for
pleasure-in-other's-misfortune in English? (like there is Schadenfreude in
German?), Do you know of such an expression in any other language you know?
I couldn't find such an expression in English (there is gloating, and there
is rejoicing in other's calamity, but they are not exactly the same as
Schadenfreude). I am trying to find more languages like English that don't
have it, and languages like Hebrew and German that do have a word for this
emotion.

Thanks
Ron Kuzar
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  |                 Dr. Ron Kuzar                                 |
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