- Ten of the year's top ten "Youth Word" names are in the works
The search for the "Youth Word" of the Year has begun, with ten candidates now available for selection. Among them is the "Youth Word" of 2012: "yolo", which stands for "You only live once". "A justification for impulsive or risky decisions," explains the Langenscheidt publishing house.
Voting for the top three favorites will be open until early September, with a final vote among the finalists taking place by October 8. The winning word will be announced live at the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 19.
"Talahon", "hell no", and "Pyrotechnics" make the top 10.
The list includes terms from Arabic, such as "akh" for brother, used as a greeting for a friend or acquaintance (example: "What's up tomorrow, akhi?"). "Talahon" means "come here" and is used for people with stereotypical characteristics or behavior (example: "I feel like a talahon today with my chest pocket.").
Also included are the contradiction "hell no", a simple translation of the English phrase, and "aura" as a often humorous term for a person's personal charisma or status. Similarly well-known as "yolo" is "digga(h)", a greeting for a buddy or colleague.
The publisher has included "pyrotechnics" in the list of candidates, explaining that it was used during the Euro 2020 tournament where pyrotechnics were banned in stadiums. It is an expression of support for the use of pyrotechnics at sporting events (example: "Pyrotechnics! It's not a crime. We'll fight for it!").
Some terms were excluded from the voting process, as they were deemed to have a clearly offensive, discriminatory, or sexist connotation.
It all started with "Gammelfleischparty" in 2008, when the term was crowned the Youth Word of the Year as a synonym for an over-30 party. Last year, "goofy" took the title, describing a clumsy, silly person or behavior.
There has often been criticism that the winning words are not actually used by youth. In recent years, "Tagesschau" newsreader Susanne Daubner (63) has gained attention for her social media posts about the Youth Word nominees.
The excitement for pyrotechnics at sports events was evident during the Euro 2020 tournament, leading to its inclusion in the list of Youth Word candidates. After the ban on pyrotechnics in stadiums, supporters expressed their desire for its use with the term.
Pyrotechnics were not the only exciting element at the Euro 2020 tournament; the top 10 also includes "Pyrotechnics", a word that represents the enthusiasm and support shown by fans.
[Here's another possible way to phrase the second sentence:]
Fans of sports events made their passion for pyrotechnics known during Euro 2020, leading to the inclusion of "Pyrotechnics" in the list of Youth Word candidates.
