Double eagles and mental burden reflect Swiss society
“Doppeladler” and “gesto dell’aquila”, the Words of the Year in German- and Italian-speaking Switzerland this year, both refer to the double eagle hand gesture of an Albanian national symbol.
“The double eagle really spread its wings in 2018 and landed in everyday life. We will be discussing it for a long time to come,” said the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) in a statementExternal link on Thursday. Researchers at the institute used Switzerland’s largest text database and the judgement of a ten-person jury to pick the winners.
The double eagle made headlines around the world in June when three Swiss footballers – two of them of ethnic Albanian origin – made the gesture during a heated World Cup match against Serbia. The Serbs, the Swiss press and world football’s governing body FIFA were all unimpressed, with FIFA fining the players CHF5,000-CHF10,000 each for “unsporting behaviour contrary to the principles of fair-play”.
In the French-speaking part of the country, the word – or rather words – of the year are “charge mentale” (mental burden).
Although the phrase was popularised in 2017 during the debate on sexual equality thanks to a cartoon by the French blogger Emma, it wasn’t until this year that it was applied to other spheres.
“If stress is the ill of the 21st century, mental burden is probably one of the main causes,” the jury said. “From now on, it’s no longer the sole preserve of women or the home.”
The ZHAW has been choosing Words of the Year since 2003External link. Switzerland’s fourth national language, Romansh, will feature next year, they said.
More
More
Swiss president chosen as ‘Sign of the Year’ by deaf society
This content was published on
The Swiss Sign of the Year pokes gentle fun at Alain Berset.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss words of the year: #metoo and harassment
This content was published on
#metoo and harcèlement (harassment) are the words of the year in German-speaking and (for the first time) French-speaking Switzerland.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.