A state of depression or melancholy, particularly a feeling of homesickness or sadness that affects soldiers or travelers far from home.
From French cafard, possibly from Arabic kafir meaning infidel or unbeliever, though the connection is uncertain. The word evolved in French military slang to describe the blues or low spirits. It entered English through French-influenced colonial contexts in the 19th century.
This beautifully specific word emerged from the experience of French colonial soldiers stationed far away—they needed a word for that particular soul-deep sadness that comes from missing home in a foreign land. It's fascinating how languages create words for feelings that don't quite fit anywhere else.
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