“Goofy” is the “Youth Word of the Year” for 2023. In a voting by Langenscheidt-Verlag, the word came out on top with around 39 percent of the votes among the top three terms.
The winning word, which describes a clumsy, silly person or behavior that makes others laugh, was announced live for the first time at the 75th c. Since June 7th, young people have been voting in several rounds in advance about their favorite word. Overall, participation was in the high six-figure range – higher than ever before, as the publisher announced. However, only the votes of participants between 10 and 20 years old were counted.
“Side eye” and “NPC” followed in second and third place. “Side eye” means a skeptical look towards a person or situation, “NPC” stands for “non-player character”, i.e. someone who only passively perceives what is happening around them.
Also known to older generations
With “Goofy”, a term that older generations still know has made it to first place. The term became known as early as 1939 as a cartoon character by Walt Disney. As a loyal friend of Mickey Mouse, Goofy is particularly notable for his naivety and clumsiness. The “Tagesschau” spokeswoman Susanne Daubner is enthusiastic about the youth word. The 62-year-old told the German Press Agency that she could relate to the term “Goofy” even at her age. She immediately thinks of the comic book character. Daubner is considered a cult announcer for the “Youth Word of the Year.”
Langenscheidt-Verlag has been choosing the youth word of the year since 2008. Since 2020, young people have been able to submit and vote for the youth word of the year at Langenscheidt Verlag. Previously it was determined by a jury. When submitting submissions, a committee only ensures that certain criteria are met. Submissions with racist, sexist and homophobic references, among other things, are not permitted.
Many terms have passed into the vocabulary across generations. A good example of this is “Cringe” (being ashamed of others), the youth word of 2021, which is also used by older people. “The term ‘cringe’ caught on because it filled a lexical gap,” said Petra Schulz, professor of German as a second language at Goethe University Frankfurt.
Secret language for identity search
But what is youth language actually and how does it come about? For Schulz, one thing is certain: “There is no one youth language.” In the search for their role in society, young people differentiate themselves – including linguistically, said the scientist. “The purpose is to find your own identity and you don’t want to let that be taken away from you.”
Felix Behm, Generation Z expert and author, also sees a connection between youth language and development: “In this phase, young people want to isolate themselves from the outside world and create their own world.” The so-called Generation Z usually includes those born between 1995 and 2010.
Youth language helps to differentiate oneself from older generations, said Helmut Weiß, Professor of Historical Linguistics at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. “Youth language is a type of group language and serves to define the group externally and identify the members internally.”
Outside this group, we often notice words that are newly invented or used in a different context. According to Schulz, these words can take on a life of their own and sometimes prevail across generations and places. “These words only survive in their new meaning if there are enough people who use the word frequently enough,” she said.
Youth words are not necessarily new inventions, says Weiß. While “safe” means “safe” in English, in Germany it is defined among young people as “guaranteed” or “one hundred percent”. This is about the creative reinvention of existing words.
Youth language in “change”
Like last year’s winning word “smash”, “Goofy” comes from English. But words from Turkish or Arabic such as “Babo” have also become an integral part of youth language. According to Behm, social media has led to young people increasingly allowing intercultural influences in recent years. Expressions would also be adopted from digital role models such as influencers.
Negative expressions are increasingly becoming part of youth language. “Many young people suffer from the long-term psychological consequences of Corona,” explained Behm. Issues such as war and climate change also led to young people expressing themselves negatively in their language – consciously or unconsciously. The fact that terms like “bottomless” or “low-income earner” have made it into the list of the top 10 youth words in recent years is an expression of increasing frustration.
