Every year, the language magazine, in collaboration with the Swedish Language Council, compiles the list of new words that have appeared in the Swedish language. Now they have done a survey of the new word lists since their start in 1986.

Interest in Japanese food and popular culture seems to form the basis for language imports from Japan. Words such as sushi, tofu, manga and karaoke are now established in Sweden. The language magazine states that Japanese is the language that the Swede borrows second most, after the English.

From last year's new glossary there is Japanese ikigai , a sense of harmony in life. In 2018, bokashi was a new word - the Japanese method for composting food waste through fermentation.

Swords do not break through

The English words are usually adapted to Swedish spelling principles, such as the word gejma . This is not the case with the Japanese where, for example, the word kawaii (cute) is not spelled as it would be in Swedish. The English also contribute a great deal of subtler language imports, which translate word by word. One such is winter malaise from the English winter vomiting disease.

Swords of new words, however, do not always break through. Influencers, for example, occur once in ten influencers . And sometimes the words retain their original form, such as last year's new word sharenting .

Linguistic boomerangs

The language magazine also notes some so-called linguistic boomerangs. These are words that have been found in Swedish, and which have since returned in a new vintage via English.

An example is the word sway, from English swipe . The word has had a breakthrough in Swedish, among other things through dating apps that are based on swaying right or left to show their interest. In fact, the word swipe came to English through the Nordic counterparts sweep, which means the same.

The new word lists show how big events and debates make their mark in the language. From last year there is the Greta effect and 2017 was among other things #metoo on the list.