english word · 2026-06-14
solastalgia
noun
Meaning
A form of emotional or existential distress caused by environmental change. It is the feeling of homesickness while you are still at home, as your familiar environment is altered beyond recognition.
Etymology
Coined by Glenn Albrecht in 2003, combining the Latin 'solacium' (comfort) and the Greek root 'algia' (pain).
Examples
"She felt a wave of solastalgia as she walked through the valley where the ancient woods had been cleared for a new highway."
"The elderly fisherman spoke with solastalgia about the bay, noting how the warming waters had quieted the once-vibrant reef."
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