FT spoke about Davos dialect at the World Economic Forum
The “Davos dialect,” as the Financial Times writes, is Switzerland’s “fifth language,” which is used by Davos forum participants. Among them are phrases like “Spirit of dialogue” and “The value of Davos is in people”
Photo: Denis Balibouse / Reuters
On the eve of the opening of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the British newspaper Financial Times described a special “fifth language”, which, according to her observations, is spoken by regulars of the event.
In addition to the four official languages of Switzerland, at the forum, as the newspaper writes with irony, there is a specific version of English – the “Davos dialect”, full of euphemisms and clichés about the global agenda. Davos itself, which forum participants usually describe as the “heart of Europe,” is located in the “middle of nowhere,” the FT notes.
In 2026, the World Economic Forum (WEF) will take place from January 19 to 23. At it, representatives of the political and business elite will discuss international security and economic problems and touch upon the topic of artificial intelligence. The main theme of the event is “Spirit of Dialogue”.
The forum has been held in Davos since 1971. The city is located in the Alps in eastern Switzerland at an altitude of more than 1500 m and is also known as a ski resort.
The publication presented an ironic “Davos phrasebook”, in which it translates the typical formulations of the participants into “ordinary” language. Thus, the phrase “This year’s theme is “Spirit of Dialogue,” the newspaper writes, means “Idiots are in charge, so we need to talk to them,” and the slogan “Davos is the perfect place to escape from everyday life” refers to top managers who “have just announced mass layoffs and fled the office.”
The FT looks at the popular claims of an “era of mini-lateralism”, a “new era of opportunity” and “India’s moment” and the real interests of corporations and politicians: from the desire to attract customers from fast-growing economies to investment in “proven” oil projects. “Phrasebook” refers to recent news from the sphere of politics. Thus, according to him, the phrase that the president of a country will join the forum via video link means “He was afraid of being kidnapped by US special forces.” Speech coming about the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
According to the FT, owning a Davos opens the door to thousands of new LinkedIn connections, invitations to meditative networking sessions and offers to invest in “the world’s first quantum-ready blockchain dating apps.”
However, the newspaper ironically, the question remains whether this language is enough to convince the company to pay the bill for a trip to Davos using a corporate card.
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