A video in which a TikTok user attempts to explain the meaning and context of the word "hiraeth" has been widely shared after it contained statements and theories which some have described as "absurd". The user, @andylynnevans, posted a video on the social media platform which presented her take on the word and took it in some unexpected directions.
As many of us know, hiraeth has no direct English translation and its meaning is a blend of longing, nostalgia and homesickness. According to Collins dictionary, the word means a “nostalgic longing for a place which can never be revisited”. Over the years, it has become a popularised term and used in various commercial ways, such as on candles, as well as for American actress Rooney Mara’s clothing line, Hiraeth Collective.
But for this TikTok user, the term had a deeper meaning for Welsh people or those with a Welsh connection. In the video, she said: “Let’s talk about ‘hiraeth’ or as you may have heard it on an audio making its rounds on TikTok - ‘heer-ayath’ - a deep homesickness for a home you can’t return to or never was essentially."
