“Word of the year 2016″ is “traitor” – THE WORLD

Darmstadt – German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), he had been as a curse word several times on the head, thrown: The term “traitor” is the “word of the year 2016″.

The tag will be used “anti-democratic and defamatory,” said the spokesperson for the “taboo word”in-Jury, the language scientist, Nina Janich, in Darmstadt, the decision.

the word in social networks and the “massive demonstrations” of supporters of the 2014 incurred in islam – and xenophobic Pegida Alliance or the AfD will be Used.The word was a “heritage of dictatorships”, including of the national socialists, said Janich. “Such a use of language, and had the serious conversation, and thus for democracy, necessary discussions in the society.”

Chancellor Merkel was abused in August 2015, during a visit to a refugee accommodation in Heidenau in Saxony, as a “national traitor”. Also Federal President Joachim Gauck, the SPD-Chef Sigmar Gabriel and other politicians, will always be vilified.

For the “non-word”-choosing not to comment Merkel on Tuesday. The General secretaries of the CDU and the SPD, Peter Tauber, and Katarina Barley, welcomed the freestyle. “The term has poisoned the political debate. With him, other people are deprived of, that you can take in your Do the Well-being of our country and its people to the scale,” said Tauber, the German press Agency. “”People’s traitor” is really a disgusting non-word,” said Barley. “Those who call others as “traitors”, don’t want to discuss, but to provoke.”

a scientist Janich said: “language says a lot about values in a society.” According to the Jury, the word “people” – as well as in the refugee debate, referred to the terms “nationalist” or “Umvolkung” – “similar to Nazism, not for the nation as a Whole, but for an ethnic category, which excludes parts of the population”.

“traitor” was a term “fascist and xenophobic”. In the case of the “non-word”of choice, it does not go “to an attempt of censorship, or voice steering, but to argue for more mindfulness in the public dealings with each other”, – stated in the explanatory Memorandum. Because of the special meaning of “traitor” had been reprimanded, this Time, no further terms.

The “non-word”Jury is not directed according to the frequency of the proposals, but decides independently. The term “traitor” was three times been sent. For 2015, there had been a total of 1064 submissions, less than in the previous years.

“word of the year 2015″ was chosen often by right-wing populists used the term “do-gooder”. For 2014, a term that is mostly used by the Pegida Alliance had chosen the panel “lie press”. “It is, we are also aware that we have chosen with “traitor” word, the “lying press” put to the side,” said the Jury.

In the year 2013 was “social tourism”, the “non-word” in front of “victim-subscription” (2012) and “kebab murders” (2011). The action there since 1991. You should promote awareness of and sensitivity to language. The Jury takes their decisions “objectively unreasonable or inhumane formulations in the public language use”, “to language in order to everyday critical reflection”.

in addition to the “word of the year” there is also the “word of the year”. This term is independent of the “misnomer”-Jury of the society for German language (GfdS) chose in Wiesbaden. For 2016, they opted for the term “post-factual”. The reason given was that in political and social discussions, it is increasingly also on emotions instead of facts.

word of the year

Institute for the German language