Language-critical campaign: »Pushback« is the bad word of the year

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Dictionary entry on "Unwort": Announcement for the first time in Marburg, no longer in Darmstadt

Photo: Stephan Jansen / picture alliance / dpa

»Pushback« is the »bad word of the year« in 2021. This was announced by the jury of the language-critical campaign in Marburg on Wednesday.

The term, which comes from English, is used in connection with refugees being sent back to borders.

According to the language-critical campaign that has chosen the word since 1991, this time the jury received around 1,300 entries with word suggestions.

Among them were around 450 different terms, of which almost 45 met the criteria, reported jury spokeswoman Constanze Spieß.

Many suggestions related to the corona pandemic.

The jury wants to draw attention to inappropriate use of language by choosing an “unword” every year and thus raise awareness.

Terms are criticized that violate the principles of human dignity or democracy, that discriminate against social groups or that are euphemistic, obscure or misleading.

The number of suggestions received for a single word does not matter.

The "bad words" from previous years were presented in Darmstadt.

With a change in the jury, the announcement has now moved to the University of Marburg.

Most recently there were two “bad words”: for 2020 these are “Corona dictatorship” and “repatriation sponsorships”.

feb / dpa