Why do we puff up the language so much? Our column “What is this about?”
The thing about language is one of those things. Always good for agitators and judgments. Many people don’t like Denglish with lockdown, shopping, to go and no-go, including highlights, and neither does legal German. And then there is gender! One thing is clear: language has always been alive. There are words that are dying out – see Butterberg, Piefke, Tankwart and Testbild. Because when there are no longer mountains of butter and test images, their terms also say goodbye.
On the other hand, vocabulary is pushing forward that is not entirely new, but is experiencing its big time. Prioritization is currently on the priority list. That this is difficult to pronounce doesn’t matter. Priority, privilege, priority – that was once upon a time. The prioritization is prioritized. That sounds so well-educated. “That kind of education adorns the whole person,” said Heinrich Heine.
The question is how we can use priorities without prioritization, priority groups and – be careful! – Top priority. But there is no longer an option – even a word like that. Not a possibility, not a choice, not a way, no, not an option. So we fluff up the language, really impressive.
It is definitely similar with the frequently heard four-silver. It looks so crisp. Far better than final, guaranteed, conclusive, secure, certain, better than sealed and binding, than precise and irrevocable – such things have definitely been dispensable for a while.
Mega is not dispensable. It has such a classic Greek (see Heine) and yet modern touch. So an end to very, extremely, considerable, extraordinary, extremely, highest and deep, violent and horrific, to a high degree, excellent, great, considerable, brilliant, full pot and so on. It doesn’t have to be. Nowadays it’s about conserving resources, here too. Incidentally, the Duden lists 34 synonyms for mega. It’s really bad, this abundance. One exception, however, is something that is permitted: totally.
Let’s stay with Latin and look at the focus, the good old fireplace. There were times when you put something in the center, talked about the center of gravity and focus or concentrated on something. Who still understands something like that? Today the focus is on that it is a joy. And communicated en masse instead of communicated.
It is similar with the narrative. How could we live so long without narratives, from the Latin narrare for to tell? This is also the case with combinations with mode, without which nothing works. Crisis mode, game mode and other things are often added upstream. The trend – mind you at this point – is also hotspot, turbo, temporary, lobbying and generating, monetary, transformation, performing, discourse and hype. That makes something! What a hype!
Finally, the favorite phrase of German law enforcement officers. The police do not say, “We can’t say anything about this at the moment”, but rather: “No statement can be made about this at the moment.” We definitely refrain from commenting on this.
