'Climate-roar': the Norwegian word of the year
The importance placed on the global climate crisis by young people in Norway has been highlighted by this year’s selection for the country’s Word of The Year.
Klimabrøl (climate-roar) has been chosen as the Norwegian Word of The Year for 2019.
The Language Council of Norway (Språkrådet, LCN) makes the annual selection, in which previous winners have included ‘fake news’ and ‘fremmedkriger’ (foreign fighter).
In its decision, LCN found that the word reflects the powerful and alarming strength of young people’s engagement in climate issues, news agency NTB reports.
Young people have gathered in their thousands across Norway during 2019 for climate strikes and other actions intended to bring about political action on the area.
“This word sums up the special strength young people have shown this year. We often use the suffix brøl [-roar, ed.] in to express huge excitement through words like seiersbrøl (victory roar), tribunebrøl (stadium roar),” LCN senior advisor Dagfinn Rødningen told NTB.
“Klimabrøl (climate-roar) is an interesting newcomer because, in this context, it gives associations with anger and protest,” he added.
LCN’s words of the year can be neologisms, but may also be words or recently-emerged phrases that have characterized the year.
"Important criteria for the award are that the words should be relevant, widely used, viable and of good linguistic quality," the Language Council notes.
In order to find candidates for the award, the council uses a computer tool which identifies new words used in major national and regional newspapers.
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Klimabrøl (climate-roar) has been chosen as the Norwegian Word of The Year for 2019.
The Language Council of Norway (Språkrådet, LCN) makes the annual selection, in which previous winners have included ‘fake news’ and ‘fremmedkriger’ (foreign fighter).
In its decision, LCN found that the word reflects the powerful and alarming strength of young people’s engagement in climate issues, news agency NTB reports.
Young people have gathered in their thousands across Norway during 2019 for climate strikes and other actions intended to bring about political action on the area.
“This word sums up the special strength young people have shown this year. We often use the suffix brøl [-roar, ed.] in to express huge excitement through words like seiersbrøl (victory roar), tribunebrøl (stadium roar),” LCN senior advisor Dagfinn Rødningen told NTB.
“Klimabrøl (climate-roar) is an interesting newcomer because, in this context, it gives associations with anger and protest,” he added.
LCN’s words of the year can be neologisms, but may also be words or recently-emerged phrases that have characterized the year.
"Important criteria for the award are that the words should be relevant, widely used, viable and of good linguistic quality," the Language Council notes.
In order to find candidates for the award, the council uses a computer tool which identifies new words used in major national and regional newspapers.
READ ALSO:
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