Norwegian word of the day: Høstkos
For many getting cosy is synonymous with autumn in Norway.
Høstkos is a Norwegian noun best translated as "autumn cosiness", but what it means exactly depends on who you talk to. It's a compound of the word for autumn (høst) and cosy (kos).
Høst shares it with the English noun "harvest": both derive from the Old Norse word haust. Haust originally referred to gathering but became used as the general term for the season in which farmers gathered their crops.
In the UK, as populations moved away from rural living, haust was overtaken by "autumn" from the Latin term autumnus in general speech, and from the 1500s onwards "harvest" took on a narrower, specifically agricultural meaning.
Scandinavian countries remained largely rural farming societies for much longer and were influenced by Latin to a lesser degree, which is why they kept the same term for the season between summer and winter.
As for kos, it is a word used to describe a warm and cosy atmosphere, both physically and emotionally. For example, doing an autumnal activity could be considered høstkos.
Kos comes in many forms, such as familiekos (family cosiness) and peiskos (fireplace cosiness).
Use it like this?
I helgen skal jeg fokusere på høstkos med familien
This weekend, I am focusing on cosy autumnal activities with the family.
Comments
See Also
Høstkos is a Norwegian noun best translated as "autumn cosiness", but what it means exactly depends on who you talk to. It's a compound of the word for autumn (høst) and cosy (kos).
Høst shares it with the English noun "harvest": both derive from the Old Norse word haust. Haust originally referred to gathering but became used as the general term for the season in which farmers gathered their crops.
In the UK, as populations moved away from rural living, haust was overtaken by "autumn" from the Latin term autumnus in general speech, and from the 1500s onwards "harvest" took on a narrower, specifically agricultural meaning.
Scandinavian countries remained largely rural farming societies for much longer and were influenced by Latin to a lesser degree, which is why they kept the same term for the season between summer and winter.
As for kos, it is a word used to describe a warm and cosy atmosphere, both physically and emotionally. For example, doing an autumnal activity could be considered høstkos.
Kos comes in many forms, such as familiekos (family cosiness) and peiskos (fireplace cosiness).
Use it like this?
I helgen skal jeg fokusere på høstkos med familien
This weekend, I am focusing on cosy autumnal activities with the family.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.