Querencia
Querencia is a metaphysical concept in the Spanish language. The term comes from the Spanish verb "querer," which means to want, to desire, and to love. The Spanish language dictionary El pequeno Larousse ilustrado defines it as 1. Inclinacion afectiva hacia alguien o algo. 2. Tendencia de las personas y los animales a volver al lugar en que se criaron. 3. Ese mismo lugar." It has also been defined as "homing instinct, a favorite place." Another connotation is the place where people feel most secure, gain the strength of their character and feel at home.
The Grijalba/HarperCollins Spanish-English English-Spanish Dictionary lair, haunt homing instinct or homesickness, longing for home. The phrase buscar la querencia can be translated as "to head for home."
In bullfighting, a bull may stake out his querencia, a certain part of the bull ring where he feels strong and safe. Ernest Hemingway's 1932 nonfiction book Death in the Afternoon describes the querencia in this context:
Relevant literature
- Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez, Levi Romero, and Spencer R. Herrera, eds. 2020. Querencia Reflections: on the New Mexico Homeland. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
- Arrellano, Juan Estevan. 1997. "La Querencia: La Raza Bioregionalism." New Mexico Historical Review 72: 31-37.