Successful expressions - The Low German word of the year is "Tauversicht" and "Düstersinnig."
This year's Plattdeutsch contest has selected some remarkably contrasting words. "Tauversicht," a term conveying confidence and optimism, was named the most striking Plattdeutsch word for 2024, while "Düstersinnig," meaning bothersome or melancholic, emerged victorious in the "Current Expression" category.
The Heimatverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Fritz-Reuter-Museum Stavenhagen, who hosted the awards ceremony at Schloss Stavenhagen on Saturday, stressed how relevant these central topics are, even in what seems like a non-political competition.
The organizers were thrilled with the audience's enthusiastic response, receiving over 180 submissions from across the country, including states where Low German is native as well as Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Brazil. For the first time ever, a dedicated website was created for the competition by the Fritz-Reuter-Literature Museum in Stavenhagen, where all proposals could be found and even allowed for public voting for the newly coined term.
The most inventive new creation, "düstersinnig," a word that represents feeling troubled, melancholic, or depressed, gained the most public votes. A submission from a participant in Denmark, Brabrand, clinched the top spot.
In the category for proverbs, "Wecker rieden will, de möt ïst rup up 't Pierd" (If you want to ride, you have to get on the horse first) secured the win, coming from a participant in Schönbeck, Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district. To determine the winner for the most beautiful Plattdeutsch word, "Tauversicht," two individuals submitted this year's winning entry, and the champion from Parsim was chosen at random.
The contest, featuring three categories, has been occurring annually since 1995. In 2023, "Brägenplietschmaschin" (a representation of Artificial Intelligence) garnered the title for the "Current Expression." The Fritz-Reuter-Literature Museum in Stavenhagen is part of a larger network under the Heimatverband MV, which aims to protect and promote the Plattdeutsch language.
Low German has been recognized as both an oral and written Abitur subject since 2017. Nevertheless, its usage is slowly diminishing, with fewer young people preserving their ancestral language.
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The Plattdeutsch contest attracted submissions from various parts of Germany, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, as well as from abroad, including Brazil. The Plattdeutsch language, which is native in some regions of Germany like Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, is also recognized as an Abitur subject in some German schools. In contrast to the optimistic term "Tauversicht," winning in the category for the most striking Plattdeutsch word, the term "Düstersinnig," derived from the Low German language, represents a feeling of melancholy or depression.
