3.000 new words added to 29th edition of Duden German dictionary
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Loading... - Irma Achen
- 27 Aug 2024
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The 29th edition of the Duden, the authoritative German dictionary, has expanded by 3,000 new words, reflecting recent societal changes and trends.
With a total of 151,000 words, this latest edition encapsulates significant events and shifts from the past few years. According to editor-in-chief Kathrin Kunkel-Razum, the new entries largely fall into three categories: "crisis, war, and cooking."
Words like Coronapandemie (coronavirus pandemic), Antigenschnelltest (rapid antigen test), and Ukrainekrieg (Ukraine war) highlight the global and national crises that have shaped recent years. On the culinary front, terms such as Fleischersatz (meat substitute) and Tahini reflect changing food trends.
In addition to adding new words, the Duden team has also removed outdated terms, a process that Kunkel-Razum notes is more challenging than introducing new ones. Words like Frigidär (an old term for refrigerator) and UMTS cell phone have been retired, alongside some obsolete spelling variants. The Duden continues to serve as a linguistic mirror of its time, evolving with the language it documents.
