skömm

Skömm is a Swedish noun derived from the Old Norse word 'skjǫmmr' meaning sorrow or shame. It entered Middle Swedish in the 14th century as an informal variant of 'skam', but gained a distinct nuance of personal, internal guilt over wrongdoing.

In modern usage, skömm denotes a specific feeling of shame or remorse directed at oneself following a moral misstep or a breach of social etiquette. It is often used in contexts where the transgression is considered modest or embarrassing rather than criminal.

The concept has appeared in Swedish literature since the 19th century, notably in the moral epics of Selma Lagerlöf and August Strindberg, where characters lament their skömm for violating social norms. Contemporary usage also extends to emojis and memes, where the face with spilled sweat (🤭) often accompanies expressions of skömm.

Skömm differs from the close kin 'skuld', which focuses on culpability, and from 'skam', a more general sense of shame. In some dialects it is interchangeable with 'fandas' (humility) or 'bekännis' (confession) when referring to an internal apology. The term also has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Danish 'skamm' and Norwegian 'skam'.