Ten of the year's top ten "Youth Word" names are in the works
The countdown is on: What will be the Youth Word of the Year - and replace "goofy"? Among the top 10 are Arabic expressions and a familiar face. Some terms were also excluded from the start.
From now on, you can choose from ten candidates for the "Youth Word of the Year". Among them is the "Youth Word of the Year" from 2012: "yolo", which stands for "You only live once". "A justification for impulsive or risky decisions", explains the Langenscheidt Verlag. You can vote for the top three until early September, and then vote again among the finalists until October 8. The winning word will be announced live at the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 19.
Among the top 10 are Arabic terms like "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 breast pocket.").
Also included are the contradiction "hell no", a simple translation of the English phrase, and "aura" as a often playful term for a person's personal aura or status. "Digga(h)" sounds similarly familiar as "yolo" and is used as a greeting for a buddy or colleague.
With a very current football reference, the publisher has included "pyrotechnics" in the list of candidates, explaining that "this word was used in connection with the EM, where pyrotechnics were banned in the 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 are taboo
According to the announcement, terms that are part of the regular language use of teenagers and young adults aged 11 to 20 were included in the voting. Popularity and use were tested on platforms like Instagram, Tiktok, and Reddit. "If a term was classified as widespread and often used, and was not initiated by a targeted campaign and thus not a fake, it remained in the running." Excluded were, among others, terms with an obviously offensive, discriminatory, or sexist connotation.
The "Youth Word of the Year" has been around since 2008. That year, "gammelfleischparty" was crowned as a synonym for an over-30 party. Last year, "goofy" took the prize, describing a clumsy, silly person or behavior. There has also been criticism that the winning words are not actually used by young people. In recent years, "Tagesschau" presenter Susanne Daubner has made headlines for her social media posts about the respective "Youth Word" nominees.
In the process of selecting the upcoming "Youth Word of the Year", the field of Linguistics plays a significant role in analyzing and understanding the meanings and contexts of the candidate words. Additionally, understanding Linguistics helps us to consider the potential impact and cultural significance of these words within the age group of 11 to 20-year-olds.
