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For the longest time I was startled by the term "angst" in fanfic. I'm not a native speaker, and I hadn't come across the word before.
I looked it up, compared it to the angst-fics I read, and came to the conclusion that it is used to describe what Oxford's Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English calls "a feeling of anxiety (eg caused by considering the state of world affairs)"
That is how I used it: angst fics recced by me will have an overall feeling of uneasiness, a feeling as if the world is suddenly wrong and will never be right again.
Today I read that this new addition to my vocabulary wasn't that new after all: it is supposed to be the german word "Angst", a word that is very familiar to me, with me being german and everything.
Now, the german word "Angst" (and if it really is german, can people please spell it with a capital A), can be used to describe a feeling of anxiety. But it usually means fear of a situation.
If you are afraid of the dark, you have "Angst" of the dark, for example.
Personally, I'd use it to describe true horror stories, stories with monsters and little pink killer bunnies. Possibly Daniel in footy pyjamas.
So, which is it? Is it the german word (in which case I'd need to rethink my definition of fannish angst), or the english one. Or did I misunderstand the fannish definition I read, and it is the english word for angst, which comes from the german one originally. Or am I the only one who sees a difference between "fear" and a "feeling of anxiety".
I am confused.
Maybe I just need some breakfast.
I looked it up, compared it to the angst-fics I read, and came to the conclusion that it is used to describe what Oxford's Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English calls "a feeling of anxiety (eg caused by considering the state of world affairs)"
That is how I used it: angst fics recced by me will have an overall feeling of uneasiness, a feeling as if the world is suddenly wrong and will never be right again.
Today I read that this new addition to my vocabulary wasn't that new after all: it is supposed to be the german word "Angst", a word that is very familiar to me, with me being german and everything.
Now, the german word "Angst" (and if it really is german, can people please spell it with a capital A), can be used to describe a feeling of anxiety. But it usually means fear of a situation.
If you are afraid of the dark, you have "Angst" of the dark, for example.
Personally, I'd use it to describe true horror stories, stories with monsters and little pink killer bunnies. Possibly Daniel in footy pyjamas.
So, which is it? Is it the german word (in which case I'd need to rethink my definition of fannish angst), or the english one. Or did I misunderstand the fannish definition I read, and it is the english word for angst, which comes from the german one originally. Or am I the only one who sees a difference between "fear" and a "feeling of anxiety".
I am confused.
Maybe I just need some breakfast.
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