500 years of German youth slang: Krass, Babo, and Fuzzi

While some youth language may come and go, other "cool" terms date back hundreds of years in the German language. And many actually enter German vocabulary from other languages, especially today.

Young people have always developed their own kind of language as a means of identifying with each other and distinguishing themselves from the adult world. In fact, younger generations often tend to cringe when adults try to imitate the way they speak.

"For my pubescent children, I'm an embarrassment no matter what I do," author Matthias Heine said in an interview with Germany's Bayerischer Rundfunk public broadcaster. He's the author of the book "Krass — 500 Jahre deutsche Jugendsprache" (translation: Crass — 500 Years of German Youth Language), which explores how young people speak.

The author stresses that youth language is by no means a phenomenon of modern times. Back in the 17th century already, students cultivated their own special jargon, and things are no different in the age of the internet and influencers.

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