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Schwärmerei

Posted by TheFallen on June 15, 2003

In Reply to: Schwarmerei posted by Miri Barak on June 15, 2003

: : : I would like to know about this word. origin, usage, connotation, and is there a reason to use it in capital letters in the sentece:

: : : "These two films together with the von Daniken Schwarmerei, may be regarded as the defining syndrome of a certain complex of obesessions very much at large in our time."

: : : I understand the meaning of it as overemotional, but could it be a name of one of his works? or just a title to his book-movie "Chariot of the gods) to which he relates before.

: : : Thank you very much

: : This word was new to me. Apparently it means overemotionalITY, and it's capitalized because it's a German noun.

: Thank you Berg. by the time being I made a research myself. the original word came from Luther and that's how he called his opponents in the church, he meant "enthusiasts" but it also carried a meaning of fanatism. this word got into english and it means sometimes as you mentioned overemotinal, and sometimes - fanatical enthusiasm, or political enthusiasm, I found it in many connections.
: Thank you
: miri

The German verb schwärmen (pronounced sh-ver-mun because of the umlaut over the a) means two things, namely to swarm and to enthuse - one can easily see the relation between the two meanings. Many abstract nouns in German are formed by adding an -erei to the verbal root, so to be totally correct, the noun would read Schwärmerei.

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