ABSTRACT
Derived from older Modern Danish (1500-1700s). The construction of the verb is the same as in the German misgönnen. It is constructed with the help of the negating prefix mis-from an older verb unde that originally meant “to be disposed” toward the other in this way or that, and later “to grant” a thing to a person. Thus, the verb literally means not to grant something to the other. Usually, however, both the verb and the noun also involve a desire to take away, to deprive the other of the desired thing.1 According to Molbech’s Danish lexicon, the verb misunde means “to be sorry, to be dissatisfied that it goes well with others; not to grant the other the good that he possesses.” The noun Misundelse refers to the disposition to envy (misunde) others.2
