The most beautiful ABC in the world
The most beautiful ABC in the world was a competition organized by the magazine Kulturausch and the Stuttgart Institute for Foreign Relations (IfA). The originality of the word, its cultural specificity and the quality of the reasoning were assessed.
Reactions
2469 people from 58 nations submitted their favorite words.
The competition in the context of the year of the humanities 2007 attracted more attention in the German-language media in Germany , Austria and Switzerland . Due to a winning word from the Turkish language, a large number of Turkish media reported on the outcome of the competition as well as media from other countries.
The German wave set to music after the winners stood firm, The most beautiful ABC in part for his radio program. The IfA published a 32-page brochure with selected articles.
target
The competition and its results should, without claiming to be exhaustive, show the diversity of languages as well as the diversity of cultures and contribute to the fact that people living in Germany, regardless of their origin, develop a “feeling for other languages”.
Selection process
A three-person jury selected the winners from almost 2500 word suggestions from almost 60 nations based on the aspects of originality of the word, cultural peculiarity and quality of the reasoning. In the case of German words, words such as “Heilbuttschnittchen” and “quietschfidel” were also submitted.
Members of the jury were:
- Moderator Marion Brasch
- Writer Inka Parei
- TV presenter Jörg Thadeusz
winner
After the competition, the Turkish winning word “ Yakamoz ” was also described in the international media as “the world's most beautiful word”. It means "the reflection of the moonlight in the water", for which there is no equivalent in German as in other languages. Yakamoz also describes the phenomenon of sea glow in Turkish . The reason for the proposal stated briefly: "It is simply nice to be able to express this phenomenon in one word."
In second place was “hu lu”, the Chinese word for snoring . Third place goes to “volongoto”, which means “messy” in Luganda , a language spoken in Africa.
More words
The words are arranged alphabetically in the table.
| word | language | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ai 愛 | Japanese / Chinese | love |
| Antojar | Spanish | Want to |
| Bahagia | Indonesian | joy |
| Baubles | English | Trinkets |
| Benzhu | Chinese | stupid |
| Book bus | German | Book bus |
| Cafuné | Portuguese | Act of intimate caressing of the head, being tender or looking for lice |
| Caracol | Spanish | Snail, cabbage face |
| Chamuss | Burushaski | Apricot juice |
| Chuanmen | Chinese | visit someone unannounced |
| Chuchichäschtli | Swiss German | Kitchen cabinet |
| Cloot | Scottish | material |
| Dapper | Flemish | brave |
| Davka | Hebrew | exactly, on the contrary |
| Dinosaurio | Spanish | dinosaur |
| Donia | Arabic | World, life |
| Eldritch | English | scary |
| Eshabwe | Runyankole | dish |
| Wanderlust | German | Wanderlust |
| Filiżanka | Polish | Cup |
| Fox | English | Fox |
| present | German | present |
| Gibberish | Scottish | Bullshit |
| Common sense | Austrian | Common sense |
| Halibut sandwich | German | |
| Iella | Italian | bad luck |
| Impediment | English | Handicap, obstacle |
| Ironia | Italian | irony |
| Jabulani | Zulu | peace |
| Jardin | French | garden |
| Kenifé | Malinke | love |
| Kladderadatsch | German | Kladderadatsch |
| chick-pea | German | chick-pea |
| Crystal clear | German | |
| Kwangaba-Kwanbaya | Hausa | indecision |
| Laughterature | English France | Kind of laughter that erases itself as you laugh |
| Educational Food | Czech | ease |
| Madala | Hausa | Thank God |
| Millimallikas | Estonian | Aurelia aurita - ear jellyfish |
| Moon | English | moon |
| Mwethya | Kikamba | Community work |
| Naeka | Bengali | fury |
| Nagode | Hausa | gratitude |
| Nope | originally US-American | No |
| Tummy tuck | German | Tummy tuck |
| Oppholdsvær | Norwegian | a certain weather condition |
| Oshin | Vietnamese | Housemaid |
| Paralelepípedo | Portuguese | Cobblestone |
| Perekotipole | Ukrainian | Steppe runner |
| Puddock | Scottish | Bulkheads |
| Quark donuts | German | Pastries, donuts based on quark |
| Quietschfidel | German | exuberant, happy |
| rhubarb | German | rhubarb |
| Sit down | Thai | Oh how beautiful |
| Salo | Ukrainian | bacon |
| Saudade | Portuguese | nostalgia |
| Rail replacement services | German | Rail replacement services |
| Shrink | German | |
| Souffle | French | breath |
| Tabarma | Hausa | Mat, underlay, sleeping mat |
| Tohuwabohu | Yiddish | according to Luther: Wüst und Leer ( Genesis 1: 2 ); modern: confusion / chaos |
| Touse'e zabani | Persian | Language development |
| Vaina | Spanish | Fool, sheath, case, cartridge case, knife sheath, scabbard, pod, inconvenience |
| Vazhaippazham | Tamil | banana |
| Wattan | Persian | homeland |
| Weselka = Веселка | Ukrainian | Rainbow |
| X-any | German | any, no matter who or what kind of person |
| Yawwa | Hausa | thank you |
| Yowamushi | Japanese | Washcloth , sissy |
| Zjom-zjom | Ukrainian | Farewell phrase |
| Zmrzlina | Slovak / Czech | Ice cream |
See also
Web links
credentials
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 18, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.sabah.com.tr/2007/10/26/haber,8003813AF4F547C596109F10F2B04753.html
- ↑ http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/kultursanat/?t=31.10.2007&c=14&i=77139
- ↑ shanghaidaily.com
- ↑ Yakamoz was the most beautiful word in the world. Worldwide survey by the magazine Kulturausch . In: Der Standard, October 25, 2007
- ↑ duden.de: very happy
- ↑ duden.de: x any
