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5mo ago

‘Ampel-Aus’ Named Germany’s 2024 Word of the Year

The term reflects the political impact of the coalition’s collapse and highlights linguistic trends in German society.

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Da bildeten sie noch eine Ampel: Lindner (FDP), Scholz (SPD) und Habeck (Grüne)
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Overview

  • The Society for the German Language (GfdS) selected 'Ampel-Aus' as the 2024 Word of the Year, citing its political and societal significance.
  • The term refers to the breakup of Germany's 'Ampel' coalition government, comprising the SPD, Greens, and FDP, which ended in November 2024.
  • The GfdS highlighted the linguistic appeal of 'Ampel-Aus,' noting its alliteration and the novel use of 'aus' as a noun.
  • Other top words of 2024 include 'Klimaschönfärberei' (climate embellishment) in second place and 'kriegstüchtig' (war-ready) in third, reflecting key political and social debates.
  • The GfdS has chosen Words of the Year since 1971 to capture the linguistic and cultural essence of each year without endorsing the selected terms.