The Society of the German Language (GfdS) has picked “Klimakatastrophe” (climate disaster) as its “word of the year”, an annual honour awarded to the term the prestigious Wiesbaden-based group feels has captured the spirit or dominated the headlines and public discussion of the year.

The society picked “Fanmeile” (fan mile), after the public viewing arenas of the World Cup in Germany, in 2006, considering it to be the term that best captured the spirit of the soccer tournament held there.

“Bundeskanzlerin” (woman chancellor) was the word of the year in 2005 after Angela Merkel became the country’s first woman leader.

“‘Climate disaster’ points to the direction that climate change is headed,” said GdfS expert Gerhard Mueller. He said in a German radio interview that ‘climate change’ had been considered, but the society didn’t feel it was dramatic enough. The topic of climate change played a major role in the public discussion in Germany in 2007, he said.