Have you seen tourists from warmer latitudes in our elongated country lately?
Yes, then you've probably come across people on "coolcations".
Reflects society
"Coolcation", vacationing in cooler places in the north, is one of the English-inspired words on this year's list of new words.
It's common with loanwords from English, but this year's list is probably the most English-inspired, says Anders Svensson, new word editor at Språktidningen, to TT.
Together with Språkrådet, Språktidningen compiles the annual list, which in 2024 consists of 32 words that have been coined or become more common during the year.
"Aktivklubb" is another translated loanword from English that has made it onto the list.
It's a discreet loan that has been translated word for word. An aktivklubb is like a fight club for people on the far right, says Svensson.
That we live in uncertain times with crises, wars, and crime around the corner is clearly reflected in this year's list, says Svensson. Words like "barntorped" (children who commit a serious crime on behalf of a criminal gang), "grön gumma" (previously unconvicted woman who is hired by criminal networks) and "drakdrönare" (flame-throwing unmanned aerial vehicle used in combat) testify to how society looks.
You can sense that it's worrying times. We think the list reflects society in a good way, but it's subjective, of course.
We also see signs that people are trying to look on the bright side of the world. The word "bratsommar", that the summer has been characterized by a carefree lifestyle with a focus on freedom, is an example of that.
Most needed word
Anders Svensson's favorite word on the list is unsurprisingly an expression borrowed from English:
"Slop."
It's probably the most needed word, I think. It means that texts on websites are written by AI and that the quality is low or that the content is incorrect. For example, a text about an artist that appears to be written by fans may contain errors that real fans would never write.
It's not the most fun phenomenon, but I think it's a concept we'll be talking about for many years.
