Hemeisis

Cover image for the Hemeisis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Hemeisis

n.
the off-putting awareness of how deeply your culture’s norms are ingrained in your psyche—arbitrarily defining what you find shameful and admirable, private and communal, attractive and repulsive, fair and unfair—as if you’d been programmed in a way that you can’t control or even perceive, until you happen to encounter someone who has slightly different code.

Ancient Greek ἡμεῖς (hēmeîs), we (excluding the listener). Pronounced “hem-ey-sis.”

Ludiosis

Cover image for the Ludiosis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Siso

Cover image for the Siso word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Heartmoor

a campfire with a kettle many small logs

Poggled

a person studying a book with a magnifying glass

Fygophobia

Cover image for the Fygophobia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Mimeomia

a person wearing an animal onesie garment

Nyctous

a person walking in the middle of a street

Anthrodynia

Cover image for the Anthrodynia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Anechosis

Cover image for the Anechosis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Routwash

Cover image for the Routwash word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Hemeisis

Cover image for the Hemeisis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Anaphasia

Cover image for the Anaphasia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Kenaway

Cover image for the Kenaway word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Pax Latrina

Cover image for the Pax Latrina word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Ledsome

Cover image for the Ledsome word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Holiette

Cover image for the Holiette word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Tillid

Cover image for the Tillid word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Mal De Coucou

a blurry image of several men

Keyframe

a large rock in the water with emanating ripples

Archimony

a person looking at broken furniture

Galagog

a person alone in a snowy desolate landscape

Amoransia

Cover image for the Amoransia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Beloiter

a person sitting at a slot machine

Yeorie

a woman with tendrils of smoke moving across her face

Halfwise

a train coming towards the camera shot from the tracks

Hobsmacked

Cover image for the Hobsmacked word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Zielschmerz

Cover image for the Zielschmerz word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows