No Covid-influence on Word of the Year nominations this year

Concerns about the coronavirus pandemic have disappeared from the Van Dale word of the year nominations. Though the problems of the day are well reflected in this year’s nominations, with the climate, the war in Ukraine, inflation, and the energy bill all making an appearance.

Here are this year’s nominations in Dutch, along with their definition in English. Netherlands residents have until Tuesday, December 20, to cast their vote here.

Boektokken - a TikTok video about a book

Bofbelasting - an additional tax levied on unexpectedly large corporate profits, especially if it is not the result of normal business operations but of geopolitical or social developments.

Emojibaby - a baby or child whose face is covered by an emoji on photos posted on social media to protect their privacy.

Energietoerisme - translates to energy tourism. It means traveling to a warmer country in the winter to avoid the high energy prices in your home country.

Klimaatklever - a climate activist who glues themself to something with symbolic value to draw attention to the climate crisis.

Needlespiking - drugging someone in a crowd by injecting them when they don’t suspect it.

Prijzenpijn - consumers suffering from higher prices, particularly due to inflation.

Spijtgezin - a family who regrets taking (Ukrainian) refugees into their home

Stopbonus - a bonus paid by the State to an entrepreneur to stop their heavily polluting company.

Zevenvinker - someone who can put seven checkmarks on a list and, based on that, is automatically socially privileged. The list is man, white, straight, completed pre-university education, university education, Dutch-born, wealthy or highly educated parents.