Schadenfreude in other languages

Dik Bakker Dik.Bakker at LET.UVA.NL
Mon May 5 11:47:23 UTC 1997


Hi Ron,
The Dutch word for 'Schadenfreude' is 'leedvermaak'
(sorrow-pleasure). Note, however, that, like the
German word, it is a compound, not a single morpheme.

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Dik Bakker
Department of General Linguistics
University of Amsterdam
Spuistraat 210
NL-1012 VT  Amsterdam
The Netherlands
tel     +31.20.5253857
fax     +31.20.5253021
email   dik.bakker at let.uva.nl
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On Sun, 4 May 1997, Ron Kuzar wrote:

> ------- 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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