Linguists have named the word “pushback” the “Unwort of the Year 2021”. “Unwort” is a German word that means inappropriate word. The expression, which originated in English, is used for pushing back or pushing back refugees. The idea is to prevent them from crossing borders. The honorary jury at the University of Marburg criticised the word for “glossing over” the process of pushing people back. The foreign word, they say, helps to disguise the violation of human rights and the fundamental right to asylum. Every year since 1991, the jury of the “Sprachkritische Aktion” (Language Critical Initiative) has nominated a… Read More
Pushback “glosses over inhumane processes”
