- by croatiaweek
- March 15, 2026
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The Croatian language has gained three new words following the annual Dr. Ivan Šreter Awards, which took place in Lipik this weekend as part of celebrations marking the Days of the Croatian Language.
The competition, organised by the magazine Jezik with the support of the Dr. Ivan Šreter Foundation, promotes creativity in the Croatian language and encourage alternatives to commonly used foreign loanwords.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of the contest, attracting a strong response from language enthusiasts across the country.
A total of 412 proposed words from 191 contributors were submitted, giving the expert panel the challenging task of selecting the most suitable additions to the Croatian vocabulary.
The judging panel, led by linguist Prof. Dr. Sanda Ham, evaluated entries based on linguistic correctness, clarity, creativity and their usefulness as replacements for widely used foreign terms.
Winning Words
At the awards ceremony held on 14 March in Lipik, three words were selected as the best new additions, HKV reported.
First prize went to presudnik, proposed by Osijek-based pedagogue Josipa Curić.
The word is intended as a Croatian alternative to the football term VAR (Video Assistant Referee), referring to the official who reviews video footage to assist referees in decision-making. The winning entry received €600.
Second place was awarded to dohvatnica, suggested by Zagreb researcher Antonio Zandona. The word serves as a Croatian equivalent for the term widget, describing a graphical interface element used to retrieve or display information on screens. The prize for second place was €400.
Third prize went to pedagogue Majda Joha from Nova Gradiška for narubno, proposed as a replacement for the commonly used Germanism “na kant”. The award carried a €200 prize.
Creative Finalists
While only three words were officially awarded, the shortlist of 29 finalists highlighted a wide range of creative suggestions reflecting modern life and digital culture.
Among them were:
• brzovid – a short-form video on social media
• budnosvješće – a proposed Croatian equivalent for “woke”
• dogrljenka – a turtleneck sweater
• domoškolovanje – homeschooling
• gladoljut – the feeling of being “hangry”
• hranomat – a self-service machine selling prepared meals and drinks
• inostvor – a term for a transgender person
• lažnica – deepfake
• lomoples – breakdance
• mirozbor – peace negotiations
• nadnatalitet – baby boom
• razjarica – ragebait
• uznožnice – leggings
• zazabava – afterparty
• zdravovječnost – years lived in good health, similar to the concept of healthspan
Other notable suggestions included strojumlje as a possible Croatian expression for artificial intelligence and zamrežje, referring to offline spaces without internet access.
The Dr. Ivan Šreter Awards have become an important platform for celebrating linguistic innovation in Croatia. The initiative encourages speakers to develop Croatian alternatives to foreign expressions that increasingly enter everyday usage, particularly through technology and popular culture.