On October 10, the “Youth Word of the Year” will be chosen / FAU linguist Judith Willberg in an interview
“Crashout,” “peak,” and “ragebait” are among the top 3 in the vote for Youth Word of the Year, which will be chosen on October 10. Are you completely lost? That’s fair. Or does “bodenlos” (fathomless) describe it better? In an interview, Judith Willberg from the Chair of German Linguistics at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) explains what youth slang is all about.
Why do young people have their own language in the first place?
Language is an important part of youth culture, just like fashion, music, or certain social norms. Primarily, young people use their language to distinguish themselves from older generations and other social groups. That’s why there isn’t a single youth language, but rather a wide variety of different variants and forms. In addition to age, they are influenced by factors such as gender, social and regional background, education, migration, as well as the specific context of the conversation and the person they’re speaking with. Each generation introduces new linguistic phenomena, thereby contributing to ongoing language evolution.
What defines youth language?
Youth language forms are primarily found in spoken language and informal situations – for example, among friends or on social media. Much of what would otherwise be considered offensive or inappropriate is part of normal everyday speech among young people, such as swear words or vulgar expressions. In youth language, these lose their expressive and derogatory power and instead convey: We know each other, we share the same humor, we belong together.
Critics often refer to this as language decay. Is this justified?
Complaints about the supposed decline of language due to youth slang are at least as old as youth language itself. Even in the 19th century, student slang of the time was viewed critically. Words like “Kneipe” (pub) or “Moos” (money) were considered problematic introductions.
Today, the influence of the internet and multilingualism are at the center of criticism. However, from a scientific point of view, a general decline of the German language cannot be inferred from this. On the contrary: There is a significant discrepancy between the media portrayal of supposedly declining youth language and scientific findings.
How does youth language develop?
On one hand, expressions move from one language to another through multilingualism and language contact. A good example is “wallah” or “vallah.” The word originally comes from Arabic and means “by God.” In everyday usage, however, this religious meaning has faded; today, “wallah” can be used, for example, for emphasis in the sense of “really” or “seriously.” A similar development can be observed with “ich schwör” (“I swear”).
Additionally, young people sometimes use familiar words differently or give them new functions. “Alter” is a good example. In “Richtig krass, Alter!” (“That’s totally wild, man!”), it describes neither the age nor the gender of the person being addressed. Instead, it serves to grab the listener’s attention or emphasize one’s own statement. “Alter!” can be a reaction to something unexpected, similar to “Wow!”, “Whoa!”, or “Dang!”. What’s interesting is even the pronunciation: Some speakers stress the second syllable. This also shows how an originally completely ordinary word can change and take on a new function.
So, in the end, youth words might be less a sign of language decay and more a sign of language evolution?
Yes, that’s right. Youth language particularly illustrates how flexible language can be. Some words disappear quickly, while others stick around. Some change their meaning or take on new functions. And some things considered typically youthful today may be used quite naturally by adults tomorrow. Therefore, youth language is not a counter-model to “proper” language. It is part of German – and a visible sign that language is constantly evolving.
At what point are you “out” and completely lost?
There’s no fixed age limit for that. After all, adults also use youth language terms – sometimes deliberately to seem more relaxed or younger, and sometimes without thinking, because certain words have long become part of their own vocabulary.
What’s particularly interesting is that even within youth culture, certain linguistic forms are already being left behind. Young people belong to different groups and develop different linguistic habits. As they transition into adulthood, the social circles they move in change, and often, so does their language.