What's your favorite German Unwort? Share it with us in the comments or the Community.

My favorite Unwort is "Verschwörungsleugner" (=conspiracy deniers) which is used by conspiracy theorists for all those that don't agree with their conspiracy theories.

Video Summary

1. "Das Unwort des Jahres" is an annual event in Germany.
2. It focuses on highlighting words or phrases that are considered inappropriate, politically incorrect, or harmful.
3. Unlike the "Word of the Year," the Unwort represents negative or undesirable language.
4. The selection process involves suggestions from the public, evaluation by a jury of language experts, and consideration of criteria like harm to human dignity, democracy, misleading nature, or discrimination.
5. Examples of previous Unworts include "Corona-Diktatur" and "Lügenpresse."
6. The concept of Unwort des Jahres was introduced in 1991 by a linguist from the University of Frankfurt.
7. The first Unwort was "ausländerfrei," used during racist incidents in the former East Germany.
8. Unworts can describe economic or social situations, like "Herdprämie" in 2007 or "Entlassungsproduktivität" in 2005.
9. Some people believe that discussing Unworts makes these words more popular, while others see it as a critical examination of language and society.
10. The Unwort des Jahres serves as a reminder of the dangers of certain words entering everyday language, especially for a society with a history marked by fascism and propaganda.