rumspringa means A period of adolescence for some members of the Amish that begins around the age of 14–16 and ends when a youth chooses baptism within the Amish church or instead leaves the community. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 90 out of 100.
Why this word is great
RUMSPRINGA — [Noun] A period of adolescence for some Amish youth, beginning around ages 14–16, during which they may temporarily leave the community to experience the outside world before deciding whether to commit to baptism and remain Amish or leave permanently. Borrowed from Pennsylvania German rumspringe ("to jump around"), from German rumspringen ("to jump around"). Unlike "adolescence" (a universal developmental stage) or "gap year" (a secular pause for self-discovery), rumspringa is a sanctioned rebellion—a structured taste of forbidden fruit. It is the flicker of a neon sign reflected in wide, unaccustomed eyes, the unfamiliar weight of denim replacing homespun wool, the muffled bass of a car stereo vibrating through a body raised on hymn-singing. A fleeting taste of freedom, offered with the quiet understanding that most will return.
noun
- A period of adolescence for some members of the Amish that begins around the age of 14–16 and ends when a youth chooses baptism within the Amish church or instead leaves the community.“At stake for the Amish community in the rumspringa process is nothing less than the survival of their sect and way of life. For if the unbaptized children who venture into the world at sixteen do not later return to the fold in sufficient numbers, the sect will dwindle and die out.”