Word of the Day: Weltanschauung

 

weltanschauung PRONUNCIATION: (VELT-ahn-shou-oong) MEANING: noun: World view; philosophy of life; a framework through which to interpret the world.  ETYMOLOGY: From German Weltanschauung (world view), from Welt (world) + Anschauung (perception).  NOTES: When we bring in a word from another language, sometimes we borrow it and at other times make a loan translation. The word weltanschauung appears so useful that English has borrowed the original form and also made a loan translation: world view.  USAGE: "Gwyneth Paltrow summed up her weltanschauung thus: 'My life is good because I am not passive about it.'" Richard Dorment; Gwyneth Paltrow Feels Good -- And So Can You; Esquire (New York); Sep 16, 2009.  (From Wordsmith.org)