sonder

Etymology

Coined in 2012 by John Koenig, whose project, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, aims to come up with new words for emotions that currently lack words.^[1][2] Related to German sonder- (“special”) and French sonder (“to probe”).^[3]

Noun

sonder (uncountable)

1. (neologism) The profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passed in the street, has a life as complex as one's own, which they are constantly living despite one's personal lack of awareness of it.
   • 2012, John Buysse, "On 2nd thought, we do have linked lives", The Daily Illini (University of Illinois), Volume 142, Issue 68, 5 December 2012, page 4A:

     I had a sonder, a realization that the random girl sitting next to me inside of Starbucks might have a fantastic life or she might be dealing with a very ill family member.

   • 2013, Annie Cohen, "A Deeper Understanding", Panorama (Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Missouri), Volume 62, Issue 3, 14 October 2013, page 14:

     We need to have a "sonder" moment, where we realize that we aren't the only ones with feelings, dreams, regrets and hopes.

   • 2015, Emily Neiman, Sonder: Clara's Story, iUniverse (2015), →ISBN, unnumbered page:

     I knew the feeling of sonder my whole life. […] Every time I stopped what I was doing and just watched people, this feeling of breathlessness would wash over me.

   • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:sonder.

References

Anagrams

• Doners, Drones, RDS-EON, Rodens, doners, drones, nerdos, redons, renods, snored, sorned

Etymology

From Dutch zonder.

Preposition

sonder

1. without

Noun

sonder c pl

1. plural indefinite of sonde

Verb

sonder or sondér

1. imperative of sondere

Etymology

From Middle French sonder, from Old French sonder (“to plumb”), from sonde (“sounding line”), from Old English sund- (“sounding”), as in sundġierd (“sounding-rod”), sundlīne (“sounding-line, lead”), sundrāp (“sounding-rope, lead”), from sund (“ocean, sea”), from Proto-Germanic *sundą (“a swim, body of water, sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *swem(bʰ)- (“to be unsteady, swim”). Cognate with Old Norse sund (“swimming; strait, sound”). More at sound.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔ̃.de/

Verb

sonder

1. (transitive) to probe (test with a probe)
2. (transitive) to probe (test the depth of something)
   1. to sound (use sound waves to establish the depth)
3. (transitive) to probe (look carefully around)
4. (transitive) to probe (ask someone many questions, in order to find something out)
5. (meteorology) to survey and take measurements using a weather balloon
6. to survey (carry out a survey or poll)
7. (intransitive) to dive down

Further reading

• “sonder” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• endors, rondes

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *sundraz (“isolated, particular, alone”), from Proto-Indo-European *snter-, *seni-, *senu-, *san- (“apart, without, for oneself”). Cognate to Latin sine (“without”), English sunder (“separate, different”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzɔndɐ/

• Audio

  (file)

Preposition

sonder (takes accusative)

1. (archaic) without; except; not including

Alternative forms

• zonder
• سوندر‎
• زوندر‎

Etymology

From Dutch zonder, from Middle Dutch sonder, from Old Dutch sunder, from Proto-Germanic *sundraz.

Preposition

sonder (Jawi spelling سوندر)

1. (Netherlands, Indonesia) without (not having)

Etymology

From Old Dutch sunder, from Proto-Germanic *sundraz.

Preposition

sonder [+accusative]

1. without
2. except (for)

Further reading

• “sonder (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “sonder (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929

Etymology

From Old French sonder, from sonde (“sounding line”), from Old English [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *sundą (“a swim, body of water, sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *swem(bh)- (“to be unsteady, swim”).

Verb

sonder

1. (Jersey) to sound

Noun

sonder m pl

1. indefinite plural of sonde