The Welsh word "hiraeth" is derived from the words "hir" (long) and "-aeth" (a suffix creating an abstract noun from an adjective). Literally, it can be understood as "longing". However, it carries a deeper meaning than a simple translation of "longing" or "nostalgia." Welsh scholars say it encompasses a profound and often melancholic yearning for something lost or unattainable, possibly a place, a time, or even a feeling.