I read an article today about the editor who is leaving Glamour Magazine, and she said "I am sure I will be, in my grandmother's words, 'highly verklempt'." I had to look it up. It's a Yiddish word (love them!) for being overwhelmed by emotion. Have you heard it before? What English word might be the nearest to it?

The Yiddish is פֿאַרקלעמט (farklemt), related to German verklemmt "inhibited, uptight". German klemmen "to pinch" is cognate with English clamp.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,

This dictionary say farklemt is "depressed, distraught; choked up, extremely emotional, on the verge of tears; grieving" and klemen is "to grieve".

http://yiddishdictionaryonline.com

Here is the Grammarist on it. Clearly the writer's grandmother was using it to mean overwhelmed by emotion.

quote:

What English word might be the nearest to it?

How about "distraught"?

Or maybe one of these ("overwrought" is my choice).

1. agitated
2. overwrought
3. dismayed
4. despairing
5. distressed
6. upset
7. troubled
8 disconsolate
9. bereft

 
 

I suppose, but are any of those passionate enough in tone?