The present article is the inaugural study to analyse German TikToks in the context of the popularisation of scientific and, more specifically, linguistic knowledge. Notwithstanding the escalating popularity of research in the domain of Internet linguistics and the examination of emergent forms of communication, concise video recordings on prominent online platforms persist in being predominantly perceived by academics as a medium of user entertainment. The integration of such content within the broader functioning of other social systems, such as education, science and politics, remains largely unexamined. This paper summarises the results of a qualitative-quantitative multimodal analysis of 100 German short videos (TikToks) by the author @fussballinguist. The analysis of German short videos provides a basis for the establishment of the prototypical structure of a popular science TikTok, which disseminates knowledge concerning contemporary linguistic research and the usual variation of the German language to a wide audience. The paper identifies and examines the structural elements (introduction, main body, and conclusion) that are characteristic of these videos. It also explores the relationship between the content and the structural organisation of these elements, and the technical capabilities of the platform. It is noteworthy that the construction of popular science presentations is interactive, with the author of short videos engaging active bloggers (utilising Duett and Stitch functions) and direct recipients (i.e. ordinary users registered on the platform who do not engage in video-blogging). The paper proves that in the context of disseminating scientific linguistic knowledge in the format of a short video on the TikTok platform, the author constructs a hybrid identity, actualises himself as an expert in the declared field and demonstrates mastery of blogger communication techniques. The analysis demonstrates the integration of diverse semiotic resources in the construction of the hybrid identity of the video author. It has been established that the verbal element underlying the short video is closely connected with the visual elements that guide the transfer of scientific knowledge about linguistic phenomena. The interpenetration of different levels of meaning-making gives rise to fundamentally new communicative practices of communicating scientific knowledge to a wide audience. Consequently, multimodal citation emerges as the predominant practice, adapting the traditional dichotomy of 'one's own – another' to the Internet communication environment. This dichotomy is central to the distinction between existing scientific knowledge and new authorial contributions.