sonder

American  

[son-der] / ˈsɒn dər /

noun

1. the feeling one has on realizing that every other individual one sees has a life as full and real as one’s own, in which they are the central character and others, including oneself, have secondary or insignificant roles.

   In a state of sonder, each of us is at once a hero, a supporting cast member, and an extra in overlapping stories.

---

Etymology

Origin of sonder

Coined in 2012 by U.S. writer John Koenig in his blog The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows; perhaps partly based on French sonder “to probe, plumb,” of unclear origin, apparently either akin to sound ³ ( def. ), sound ⁴ ( def. ) or from Vulgar Latin subundāre (unrecorded) “to dive, plunge” (ultimately from sub sub- ( def. ) + unda “wave”); perhaps partly based on German sonder- “separate, special” ( sundry ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

A blunt or brode corner, is greater then is a square angle, and his lines do parte more in sonder then in a right angle, of whiche all take these examples.

From The Path-Way to Knowledg Containing the First Principles of Geometrie by Record, Robert

I ascertained this fact from the landlord of the Seven Stars, at which house of entertainment I took a bottle of soda-water, in order to sonder le terrain before commencing business.

From Birds of Prey by Braddon, M. E. (Mary Elizabeth)