\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n To be mutterseelenallein describes an extreme kind of loneliness, far worse than simply being allein (alone).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mutterseelenallein is made up of three separate words. The first is die Mutter (mother), the second is die Seelen (souls), and the third is allein (alone). The literal translation, therefore, is \u2018mother souls alone\u2019.<\/p>\n What does this mean, exactly? Well, as mentioned above, to be mutterseelenallein is to be in a state of extreme loneliness. The kind of loneliness that feels as though even your own mother has abandoned you, that there is no one in the world who you can turn to.<\/p>\n It is said that this word originated in the 17th<\/sup>\/18th<\/sup> century, when many French Protestants arrived in Berlin. There was a common French phrase at the time, \u2018moi tout seul\u2019 \u2013 \u2018me all alone\u2019 in English, and \u2018ich ganz allein\u2019 in German. It was used so much, in fact, that the Berliners adopted it, modifying it first to \u2018moi tout seul allein\u2019 and then to the similar-sounding, German \u2018mutterseelenallein\u2019.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can use it in the same way you would use the regular word for alone (allein). I read Grimms M\u00e4rchen<\/strong> (Grimm Fairytales) recently and came across the word mutterseelenallein<\/em> in use in the story Schneewittchen<\/strong> (Snow White).<\/p>\n From Grimms M\u00e4rchen by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Own photo.<\/p><\/div>\n ‘And so the poor child was mutterseelenallein<\/em> in the huge forest, and was so scared that it looked at all the leaves on the trees and did not know what to do.’<\/p>\n Quite frankly, there isn’t one that even comes close! If there is a particular phrase or word that you use to describe this feeling, leave a comment and let us know. Let’s find a word for mutterseelenallein in English. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n Sch\u00f6nes Wochenende! <\/em><\/p>\n Constanze x<\/em><\/p>\n PS. If you like these untranslatable words, why not try my quiz<\/a> <\/strong>on them?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello and welcome to another post on untranslatable German words, where I bring you the quirkiest, funniest and most intelligent words that the German language has to offer \u2013 and ones that are difficult to find a translation for! Today\u2019s word is mutterseelenallein. \u00a0 What does mutterseelenallein mean? To be mutterseelenallein describes an extreme kind…<\/p>\nWhat does mutterseelenallein mean?<\/u><\/h3>\n
What is the literal translation of mutterseelenallein?<\/u><\/h3>\n
How would you use mutterseelenallein in a sentence?<\/u><\/h3>\n
\nIch bin allein \u2013 I am alone.
\nIch bin mutterseelenallein \u2013 I am desperately\/completely alone.<\/p>\n![\"From](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2015\/11\/mutterseelenallein.jpg\")
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What is the nearest English equivalent to mutterseelenallein?<\/u><\/h3>\n