SCOTLAND is looking to muscle in on the trend for “hygge” imported from Denmark, with its own version “cosagach”.
Hygge – a new addition to the Oxford English Dictionary – is described as “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being”.
VisitScotland said 2018 could belong to “cosagach”, a Gaelic term for the state of being “snug, sheltered or cosy”.
A spokesman for Bord na Gaidhlig, the body responsible for promoting the language, said it could also be spelled phonetically, “coze-a-goch”. The first “O” sound should be slightly elongated, while the “ch” in “gach” should be pronounced the same as in “loch”.
He added: “It’s good to see VisitScotland using Gaelic in its plan. Tourism and Gaelic have strong links.”
READ MORE: Hygge and the pursuit of happiness: how a Danish concept could banish the winter blues
According to Dwelly-d, a widely used Gaelic dictionary, the word can also mean “spongy” or “full of crevices”.
VisitScotland’s Trends 2018 report said: “Scotland is a country where cosagach can be achieved in all seasons, but it’s winter when it comes into its own. It’s no secret Scotland can have, at times, rather ferocious weather.
“When the storms rage, there is nothing more satisfying than being curled up in front of the fire, hot toddy in hand, listening to the weather.”
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