It is a highlight for those interested in language: The word of the year 2020. From a collection of suggestions, the jury selected ten words that shaped the year.
Probably everyone knows number one.
Update from November 30th, 10:05 am:
"
Corona pandemic
" has been named "Word of the Year" 2020 by the Society for the German Language (GfdS).
"
Lockdown
"
landed in second place
, as the company announced on Monday in Wiesbaden.
During the campaign, a jury regularly selects ten words and phrases that linguistically determined the political, economic and social life of a year in a special way.
The terms come from a collection of several thousand specimens from various media and submissions from outside parties.
Last year, “Respectante” was named “
Word of the Year
”, and in 2018 it was “hot time”.
Word of the year 2020: What shaped Germany?
First report from November 30th:
Wiesbaden - “breakwater lockdown”, “mouth and nose protection” or “R value” - one of these terms could make it to the “
Word of the Year
”
2020
.
The Society for the German Language (GfdS) will reveal the secret on Monday (November 30th).
The “Word of the Year” is awarded to terms which, in the opinion of the jury, have
linguistically
determined
political, economic and social life
.
Since the
coronavirus
has shaped life in Germany so extensively this year, it is very likely that the "winner" has something to do with the pandemic.
That was the word of the year 2019
In 2019, “Respectante” was chosen as word of the year - the basic pension for those who have worked for 35 years and receive a pension below the subsistence level.
"Roller chaos" and "Fridays for Future" landed in second and third place last year.
Respectable
Roller chaos
Fridays for Future
Onlookers
Donut effect
tired of brexit
googling against
Bee deaths
Oligarch niece
Orderly Return Act
The GfdS has been choosing words and phrases of the year since 1977.
According to them, it is not the frequency of an expression that is decisive for the selection, but its
significance
and
popularity
.
"The list hits the linguistic nerve of the year that is drawing to a close and in its own way represents a contribution to contemporary history," explains the GfdS on its website.
The selected words are therefore not associated with any rating or recommendation.
Words of the year
2020 -
Corona pandemic
2019 -
Respect
2018 - hot time
2017 - Jamaica-Aus
2016 - post-factual
2015 - refugees
2014 - light limit
2013 - GroKo
2012 - rescue routine
2011 - stress test
2010 - Angry Citizen
2009 - scrapping bonus
By the way: The “
Word of the Year” will not be chosen until mid-January.
According to the jury, 760 submissions with 316 suggestions on the "bad word" have been received so far.
Proposals can be sent in until the end of December.
In 2019, “
Climate Hysteria
” was voted “
Unword of the Year
” for 2019.
(dpa / AFP / ml).
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