The term “Gommemode” is currently in the running for the youth word of the year 2022. A few weeks ago, Sprachverlag Langenscheidt called for this year’s youth word to be voted on.
“Gommemode” is now the favorite among the suggestions submitted – also thanks to some “Minecraft” players who mobilize their community via Twitter, YouTube and Co. But one after anonther.
What does “Gommemode” actually mean? How do you use the term correctly without embarrassing yourself? And how do you pronounce the artificial word?
According to Langenscheidt, the word “Gommemode” means something like “infinitely strong” or “invincible”. The description “god-like” also applies to this youth word.
The word “Gommemode” was borrowed like so many terms from the YouTube and gamer scene. The well-known YouTuber “GommeHD” made a name for himself in the past by perfecting the video game “Minecraft” and playing it in front of the camera in so-called “Let’s Plays” while commenting at the same time.
On his own server system “GommeHD.net”, which according to his own statements is the “world’s largest Minecraft server”, the YouTuber set his own rules as a system administrator.
As a result, “GommeHD” regularly fooled and trolled his fellow players by using opportunities in the game as an admin that were denied to his fellow players. So when someone or something is “in gommemode,” it means a godlike or invincible mode.
If someone delivered an almost perfect result or was able to convince in a certain thing, then the person was “in Gommemode” at the respective time.
Example: “You scored two goals yesterday? You used to be out and about in Gommemode!”
In addition, the “Gommemode” can also be activated or (in the sense of “switched on”) come on, as the following video from 2015 shows.
The word “Gommemode” is made up of the German name “Gomme” and the English term “mode” (German: mode). Accordingly, the youth word is pronounced in German in the first part and in English in the second part.
In the International Phonetic Alphabet (“IPA” for short), “Gommemode” would probably be transcribed and pronounced something like: [ˌɡɔməməʊd].
