Are you on trend? Here is the shortlist of SA's word of the year 2019

Music is the backbeat to this year's trending catchphrases considered for selection by the Pan SA Language Board (PanSALB), alongside the weighty issues of public looting and femicide.

The board on Tuesday announced the shortlisted candidates for the word of the year 2019.

The following three phrases were shortlisted:

• Zondo commission
• Gender-based violence  
• AmaPiano

The Zondo commission is a judicial commission of inquiry instituted by then president Jacob Zuma in January 2018 to investigate allegations of state capture. The presiding judge is deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo.

In recent months a surge in murders and sexual crimes against women swept through the country. Several marches took place to highlight the crisis, which has been termed gender-based violence. 

The new house music genre, AmaPiano, has taken over the airwaves in SA.

AmaPiano is a mixture of deep house, gqom and soulful piano sounds.

Other words which were considered are:

• Vosho (a popular dance with knee-bends)
• Oksalayo (whatever - a woman dismissing a man) 
• Idibala (dance move when people fall unexpectedly)
• Lit (hot, on trend).

According to PanSALB, the shortlisted words captured the ethos, mood or preoccupations of 2019.

PanSALB acting CEO Nomfundo Mali said this year's campaign has been to include values of multilingualism.

"Our focus will be on ensuring that indigenous-language speakers are aware of, and know, the equivalent terms of what is on everyone's lips in their own languages," Mali said.

"This will ensure that indigenous languages remain relevant and are part of the current public discourse," Mali said.

Chair of the board David Maahlamela said we need to ensure the relevance and significance of indigenous language in matters of national interest.

"Special focus ought to be given to the development of the previously repressed linguistic wealth of the country, to elevate them to intellectual and commercial significance."

The official winner is expected to be announced on Wednesday.