Credit: ZLS
On Monday 29 December 2025, Luxembourg's Ministry of Culture, together with the Centre for the Luxembourgish Language (ZLS) published the top five Luxembourgish words of the year for 2025.
Trounwiessel (Throne change) cam top, with Sozialdialog in second place, ahead of Alphabetiséierung, Nickts-Affär and Pensiounsreform.
National current affairs once again dominated the choice of the Luxembourgish Word of the Year in 2025. For the sixth time since 2020, the initiative was organised by the Centre for the Luxembourgish Language (ZLS) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and media partners.
The top five were:
- Trounwiessel (Throne change)
- Sozialdialog (Social dialogue)
- Alphabetiséierung (Literacy/Alphabetisation)
- Nickts-Affär (Nickts affair)
- Pensiounsreform (Pension reform)
How was the choice made in Luxembourg?
From mid-November until midnight on 7 December 2025, the public was invited to submit proposals for the Luxembourgish Word of the Year 2025 to the Centre for the Luxembourgish Language (ZLS), either via ballot papers at the Walfer Book Days or through an online form. In total, around 622 proposals featuring approximately 190 different words were received, many of which were mentioned only once or twice.
As in previous years, the majority of submissions were directly linked to concrete events, largely of a national nature. In addition to Pensiounsreform, several related terms were proposed, including Stoussrichtung and zeréckrudderen, which featured prominently in public debates surrounding pension reform. The term Projet Alpha, referring to the pilot project introducing literacy education in French, was also submitted several times.
A number of expressions from youth language were likewise proposed, such as goonen, ume and six-seven, while the word fréistécken was mentioned particularly often.
From the full list of submissions, the ZLS team compiled a shortlist of 20 words, which was then presented to the jury. The main selection criterion was the number of mentions, although factors such as relevance to current affairs, level of familiarity, dissemination and overall comprehensibility of the proposed terms were also taken into account.
The jury comprised Dany Weyler (radio 100.7), Andy Brücker (RTL), Leslie Schmit (Tageblatt), Marc Thill (Luxemburger Wort), Commissioner for the Luxembourgish Language Pierre Reding, Angie Gaasch representing the Council for the Luxembourgish Language (CPLL), and Alex Gillander from the ZLS.
In a first round of voting, the shortlist was reduced from 20 to ten terms, and in a second step from ten to five. The final outcome saw Trounwiessel selected as the Luxembourgish Word of the Year 2025, succeeding Presidententrick (2024), KI (2023), Ukrainkrich (2022), boosteren (2021) and Corona (2020).
Some information about each word from the top 5
1. Trounwiessel
In October, Luxembourg experienced an unusual event: with Grand Duke Guillaume, the country gained a new head of state. The event was not limited to the official ceremonies at the Palace and in the Chamber but also attracted wide attention through festivities across the country.
The word Trounwiessel is a compound, like many words in the Word of the Year ranking. Interestingly, its meaning does not directly derive from the basic meanings of Troun (throne) and Wiessel (change), as it is not the throne that changes but the person who, literally and metaphorically, sits on it.
2. Sozialdialog
Due to planned reforms, notably in pensions, working hours and collective agreements, tensions arose in 2025 within the traditional tripartite framework between the government, trade unions and employers. Larger protest actions took place during the summer, after which attempts were made to relaunch social dialogue. In September, the trade unions withdrew from the discussions, and solutions are now being sought through bilateral talks. In German, the expression sozialer Dialog is more commonly used, without compounding, which makes the Luxembourgish form linguistically noteworthy.
3. Alphabetiséierung
The term Alphabetiséierung entered the ranking following the announcement in July 2025 that, from the 2026 school year onwards, literacy education in French would be introduced in primary schools alongside the traditional German-based approach. The decision prompted widespread public debate. Notably, this is the first word in the top five that is semantically linked to language itself. Although the Luxembourgish Online Dictionary also lists the variant Alphabetisatioun, closer to the French alphabétisation, Alphabetiséierung was proposed more frequently and was therefore retained.
4. Nickts-Affär
Originally referring to a fraud case dating back more than two decades, the term Nickts-Affär resurfaced in 2025 after the Court of Cassation confirmed a ruling restricting the media group CLT-UFA from naming the trade unionist convicted in 2002. The term has since also been used more broadly to refer to renewed legal proceedings and debates surrounding press freedom and the right to be forgotten. Linguistically, it is notable as a compound containing a proper name, a feature previously seen in Word of the Year candidates such as Caritas-Affär.
5. Pensiounsreform
The term Pensiounsreform reflects debates surrounding the pension reform announced in May 2025, which contributed to growing tensions in social dialogue throughout the year. Linguistically, the first element, Pensioun, is particularly characteristic of Luxembourgish, differing from German (Ruhestand or Rente) and French (retraite), while the second element, Reform, is shared across Luxembourg’s officially recognised languages.
