sonder

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] Inspired by German sonder- (“special”) and French sonder (“to probe”).[3]

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 9781491760048, 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.

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

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɔn.dər/

sonder

1. without

sonder c pl

1. plural indefinite of sonde

sonder or sondér

1. imperative of sondere

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.

• IPA^(key): /sɔ̃.de/

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

• sondage
• sonde
• sondé

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

• endors, rondes

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈzɔndɐ/

• Audio

  (file)

sonder (takes accusative)

1. (archaic) without; except; not including

• außer, exklusive, ohne

• sondergleichen

• zonder
• سوندر‎
• زوندر‎

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

sonder (Jawi spelling سوندر)

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

• tanpa / تنڤا‎
• tidak ada / تيدق اد‎
• tidak ber- / تيدق بر-‎

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

sonder [+accusative]

1. without
2. except (for)

• Dutch: zonder
• Limburgish: zónger

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

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”).

sonder

1. (Jersey) to sound

sonder m pl

1. indefinite plural of sonde