The first voting for the youth word of the year 2021 has started.
The top 10 are expressions that some adults have probably heard before.
Stuttgart - Every year the Langenscheidt-Verlag in Munich selects the “Youth Word of the Year” with effective advertising.
This time, the young people in particular should have a say in which word will be chosen as the “Youth Word of the Year 2021”.
In the past few years, this was decided solely by a jury.
According to the criticism, the choice often ignored reality.
There are terms that even adults have heard of.
Others, on the other hand, are and will probably remain alien to many.
No matter whether young or old - some of the weird terms creep into our linguistic usage.
In 2017, for example, “I bims” won the race.
Just "be fly" - the youth word in 2016 - caused a shrug.
Very few people could relate to the term from the hip-hop scene, which means something like someone or something “goes off particularly well”.
Incidentally, “Lost” was named Youth Word of the Year in 2020.
It won ahead of “Cringe” and “wild / wyld”.
Literally translated the English "lost" means "lost".
In youth language it means someone who is clueless, insecure or indecisive.
Youth word of the year 2021 - Top 10
"Sheesh" (expression of astonishment)
"Wild" (crass)
"Cringe" (embarrassing, foreign shame)
"Sus" (suspicious)
"accurate"
"Same" (signaling approval)
"Digga" (friend, buddy)
"Papatastic" (fantastic, beautiful)
"Low-wage earners" (jokingly for losers)
Meme - It's Wednesday my guys
You can choose from the top 10 for the youth word of the year until September 13th.
Youngsters can again choose their favorites from the top 3 that have been created until October 18th.
The youth word 2021 should then be announced on October 25th.
Langenscheidt was taken over at the beginning of 2019 by Pons-Verlag, which belongs to the Klett Group.
In the same year, the choice of the youth word, which is also criticized as an advertising campaign for the publisher, paused.
For those interested in language it is a highlight: The word of the year. This is selected by the Society for the German Language (GfdS). During the campaign, a jury regularly selects ten words and phrases that have linguistically determined the political, economic and social life of a year in a special way. The word of the year 2020 probably came as no surprise.
(ml / dpa)
