German Youth Word of the Year
August 3, 2015
Seven years ago, the German publisher Langenscheidt, specializing in dictionaries, came up with the idea of creating a list of new words or expressions invented by teens by selecting the "Jugendwort 2015"(Youth Word of the Year).
Teens were invited to submit terms. The online selection includes 30 new expressions. Many of them cleverly combine politics, pop culture and irony.
"Tinderella," "Discopumper," and "Earthporn" are just a few examples of the words that became popular this year. For now, the verb "merkeln," inspired by the German Chancellor's passive stance, is by far the most popular among online voters.
For the first time in the competition's history, one word was removed from the list. "Alpha-Kevin," meaning "the most stupid of all," was highly popular - but with widespread prejudice against people named Kevin in Germany, the organization decided not to add to it.
Everyone can vote for their favorite word online until October 31, 2015. A jury will then take the 10 most popular words, select the word of the year and create a top-five ranking.