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Gemtlichkeit Gemtlichkeit is a German abstract noun whose closest English equivalent is cosiness. However, rather than basically just describing a place as not too large, well-heated and nicely furnished (a cosy room, a cosy flat), Gemtlichkeit connotes, much more than cosiness, the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the spending of quality time in a place as described above. The Dutch have a very similar word, gezelligheid. Queen Victoria is said to have been one of the first to use the adjective gemtlich in English. Today, the word is frequently used in descriptions of holiday destinations. Gemtlichkeit may be sought by adults as well as young people, who do not necessarily always prefer excitement.
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