If you are going to try to sum up 2022 cards, the Language Council’s list of the year’s words can be a place to start. Every year, the Language Council looks for the word of the year. They consider databases of words that have been used in the media during the year, and compare these with findings from previous years. – We look for words that stand out for each year. It can either be completely new words or words that have been known from before, but which have increased in use, says Director of the Language Council Åse Wetås to news. This year, the Language Council has chosen “shrinkage” as the word of the year. Word of the year 2022 Shrinkflation Electoral negator Straumsmart Knokehesling Kyiv Ground rent tax Preppar Flus Hybrid cable Kamikazedrone – Shrinkflation sums up 2022 in a striking way. There are many who are experiencing difficult times because of the price development we have seen so far, says Wetås. Director of the Language Council Åse Wetås says that the use of the word shrink inflation has exploded this six months. Photo: Oda Hveem – Old phenomenon, new word In autumn, news showed several examples of food products that have shrunk in content, without the price being lowered. This is what shrinkflation is all about, put together by the words “shrinkage” and “inflation”. Suddenly there was one less lefse to offer. The manufacturer Baxt points to more expensive raw materials and packaging as the reason. Soft Flora changed the package with margarine, and with that 60 grams disappeared. Mills says the lids on the earlier cups were loose, which caused problems in production. This will save society from plastic. Another item from Baxt has also shrunk – the knurlings got a new design, which the manufacturer has noted, but the new package says nothing about the customers getting 160 grams less knurling. A bottle of green soap from Rema was changed in the same way as the competitors, and the price increased at the same time. The price has been reduced again. Wetås points out that the phenomenon is old, but the word is new, at least in Norwegian public opinion. Economic commentator at news Cecilie Langum Becker also wrote about shrink inflation in the autumn when she was to describe the price increases this six months. – The word of the year hits the zeitgeist to the point where people feel they are getting less and less for their money. It’s something people are really busy with, says Becker. Linguist Helene Uri says contraction inflation is an example of what she calls “spectacle words”. Linguist Helene Uri thinks shrink inflation is a good word, both form-wise and lexically. Photo: Christine Calvert – Equipped with glasses you can see things more clearly. In the example of food prices, we see how the producers hide the price increase. Shrinkflation helps us to see what the food producers are doing, that they are actually deceiving us a bit, says Uri. – Sad words on this year’s list This year’s list is characterized by themes such as war, economy and current. In fifth place is the word “Kyiv”, the name of the capital in war-torn Ukraine. This year, the Language Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed to advise people to write “Kyiv” rather than the spelling that has been most common in Norway, “Kyiv”. The reason is that “Kyiv” is closer to the Ukrainian spelling, while “Kyiv” is closer to the Russian one. – Seeing the candidates for word of the year is like flipping through a verbal memory book, says Uri. Uri adds that there are mostly only sad words on this year’s word list. – But the world looks the way it does, and the language and the news reflect the situation the world is in, underlines Uri. Joe Biden chose to shake hands with the Saudi Arabian prince Mohamad bin Salman when he visited the kingdom in July. Photo: Bandar Aljaloud / NTB Looking at the lists from 2020 and 2021, there was a wealth of corona words that took place, says director Wetås of the Language Council. But one last remnant from the corona lingered in this year’s fourth place: “knokehelsing”. The word was used a lot in the media when Joe Biden met the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohamad bin Salman. “Hopefully, the knuckle greeting is a last greeting from the pandemic,” says Wetås.
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Shrinkflation is the word of the year – news Culture and entertainment
