Etymology: Swedish singer-songwriter Staffan Lindberg announced in 2017 that he would no longer use air travel, a decision co-signed by other Swedish public figures including opera singer Malena Ernman (Greta Thunberg’s mother) and the Olympic athlete Björn Ferry. The neologism flygskam has gained popularity in the years since, combining the Swedish words for flight and shame. Meaning: Flygskam refers to the particular anti-flying movement that grew out of Sweden. But it also relates to the more general and subjective issue of guilt that an individual may feel around their carbon footprint and air travel. It is hoped that an atmosphere of disapproval toward frequent fliers will gradually shift attitudes and decrease the normalization of commercial flying. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Five Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 45 Word: Explication An explanation to end all explanations. Arts & Culture Issue 44 Word: Anecdata Fact, meet fiction. Arts & Culture Issue 43 Word: Knolling The fascinating history of the flat lay. Arts & Culture Issue 42 Word: Hyperobject A word for things too huge to name. Arts & Culture Word: Negentropy A physicist’s fix for a messy home. Arts & Culture Issue 40 My Word In praise of cursing.
