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a German loanword for the itch that no map ever fully scratches.

means A strong, restless desire to travel and explore the world.

from A direct lift from German, stitching together wandern, "to hike or roam," and Lust, "desire or pleasure" — so literally a "joy of wandering." English borrowed it whole in the early 20th century, keeping the German spelling intact, as if to admit no native word could carry the same itch.

literal meaningGerman for desire to hike or wander
newer rivalFernweh means farsickness, the ache for elsewhere
possible geneDRD4-7R variant linked to restless novelty-seeking
first English useborrowed into English around 1902
oppositeheimweh, the German word for homesickness
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