The Un-word or Non-word of the year (German: Unwort des Jahres) is an annual publication that names a German word or word group that is considered to be the year's most offensive new or recently popularized term.
Contents
Description
A German linguists' panel chooses one term that violates human rights or infringes upon Democratic principles, each year. The term may be one that discriminates against societal groups or may be euphemistic, disguising or misleading. The term is usually, but not always a German term. The term is chosen from suggestions sent in by the public. The choice of the word does not depend on how many times it was suggested/ sent in, but reflects the judgement of the panel. The core of the panel consists of 4 linguists and one journalist. The un-word of the previous year is announced annually in January.
History
Between 1991 and 1993, the un-word was announced by the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache, alongside the Word of the Year. In 1994, following a row with the then German government led by Helmut Kohl, the jury led by linguist Horst Dieter Schlosser decided to become independent of any state-funded institution.