
“Renaturation” is the Austrian Word of the Year 2024
The politically charged term “Renaturierung” (Renaturation) has been chosen as the Austrian Word of the Year 2024, as announced by the Society for Austrian German in Graz. The term “Volkskanzler” (People’s Chancellor) was named the “Unword” (negative word) of the year, while “heast” became the Youth Word of the Year. “Lugner ist immörtal” (Lugner is immortal) was named the Positive Phrase of the Year, and its counterpart, “Euer Wille geschehe” (Thy will be done), was named the Negative Phrase of the Year.
A total of 10,434 voters participated in this year’s election (2,734 during the pre-election phase and 7,700 during the main vote). A total of 1,229 proposals were submitted for the various categories. “Renaturierung” won 24% of the votes for Word of the Year. This term, referring to the process of returning agricultural or industrial lands and bodies of water to a more natural state, was described as “a politically charged word” by the jury.
“Swiftie” and “ChatGPT” on the Podium
The term “Renaturierung” became particularly significant after Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) played a key role in the EU’s adoption of the Renaturation Law. This led to criminal complaints from the coalition partner, with claims of a constitutional violation, though the ÖVP’s complaint was later dismissed. Other notable mentions include the AI program “ChatGPT” (18%), closely followed by “Swiftie” (16%), the term used for fans of U.S. singer Taylor Swift, whose concerts in Vienna were canceled due to a terrorist threat.
“Volkskanzler” Wins Unword of the Year
The term “Volkskanzler” (People’s Chancellor) won the Unword of the Year with 34% of the votes. This was the self-designation of Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) for himself in the event of his becoming the next Austrian Chancellor. The jury pointed out that in the 1941 edition of the Duden dictionary, “Volkskanzler” referred to Hitler, describing the bond between the “people” and the “leader.” The term’s association with Nazi-era terminology led the jury to select it as the Unword of the Year, seeing it as an attempt to position Kickl as the (new) leader and the Austrian people as his “people.” Following “Volkskanzler” were “Talahon” (27%), a term with aggressive and misogynistic connotations, and “Remigration” (13%).
“Heast” is Youth Word of the Year
The Youth Word of the Year is “heast” with 17% of the votes, followed by “cooked” (used to describe hopeless situations, e.g., “Ich bin cooked” – I’m finished) and “Aura.”
FPÖ Leader Creates Unspruch of the Year
The phrase “Lugner ist immörtal” (Lugner is immortal), a wordplay referring to the famous Austrian businessman Richard Lugner, who passed away this year, was named the Phrase of the Year with 29% of the votes. The jury selected it for its unique linguistic quality, as it combines Lugner’s nickname “Mörtel” with the English word “immortal.”
The Unspruch of the Year (Negative Phrase) was “Euer Wille geschehe” (Thy will be done), a modified quote from the Lord’s Prayer, which Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) used during his election campaign to create a religious aura for himself (despite protests from the Catholic Church). This phrase received 47% of the votes.
The vote was conducted by the Society for Austrian German in Graz with support from APA (Austria Press Agency).