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Sign of the »Society for the German Language«
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Susann Prautsch / dpa
»Zeitenwende« is the word of the year 2022. This was announced by the society for the German language on Friday in Wiesbaden.
»Zeitenwende« is related to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and was taken up and coined by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), among others.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point.
He threatens our entire post-war order,” he said at the end of February.
The campaign regularly selects terms that, in the opinion of the jury, have had a particularly significant linguistic impact on political, economic and social life in Germany over the past year.
This time more than 2000 entries were received.
In 2021, »Wellenbrecher« was the »Word of the Year«.
The word, known from coastal protection and shipbuilding, was used as a collective term for all protective measures to break the fourth corona wave.
Popularity award
According to the Society for German Language, it is not the frequency that is decisive for a place on the list of “Words of the Year”, but the importance and popularity.
The selected words and phrases are not associated with any rating or recommendation, the linguists explained.
The »Word of the Year« was chosen for the first time in 1971 (»rebellious«); it has been chosen every year since 1977.
The Society for the German Language is a politically independent association for the cultivation and research of the German language based in Wiesbaden and is funded by the Federal Government and the Conference of Ministers of Education.
Founded in 1947, the non-profit association also offers language advice on questions relating to grammar, spelling and punctuation.
isb/AFP/dpa
