Word of the Year: Jamaica Off Proposes Marriage for All and #Metoo? what a "cofveve" ...
For most of us, the word of the year is no big deal. We hear it, think of ourselves "aha", "was that really this year" or "hä" and forget it again. Like last year. I'll bet that I have to Google again by tomorrow at the latest, to remind myself that the word of 2016 was "post-factual."
Word of the year? That's how it happens
Nevertheless, the German Language Association (GfdS) does not tire of choosing a word of the year since 1971. The frequency with which a word is used is expressly NOT decisive for the choice. Decisive is rather "its significance and popularity", writes the GfdS on its website. In simple words: The word of the year is the most important or most significant word of the year.
Responsible for the selection is an expert jury, which consists of the GfdS Executive Board and scientific staff. Who the employees are, I do not know (request is the GfdS), but the main board consists of four men and one woman? just for info ...
So much for the background. And now to the "Jamaica Off".
Linguistically interesting and of historical relevance
According to the jury of experts, the term "Jamaica-Aus" is ranked first on the list of the most important words in 2017. According to GfdS, there are a number of reasons that interest Germanists in particular. For example, that the pronunciation of Jamaica was Germanized, that the picture titled "JA-maika or NO-maika" and that now one speaks of "lindnern", if someone makes a date in the last second burst.
Moreover, the first prize went to "Jamaica-Aus", because it describes a historical situation never seen before in Germany, nobody would have expected it, and so on and so forth. I'm honestly sorry to ponder it for longer! Make just the groko, just not further, but otherwise continue because the SPD from the past few years (hopefully) has learned something ...
