And The World Changes Language!
You could say the line between urbandictionary.com and dictionary.com is getting confuzzled. You could get lucky coming up with words that might (??) be legally played against your competitive grandma on Words With Friends. You may realize as society changes, so does our language. But, what earns a term its place in a dictionary of English language?
Words have emerged from all corners of our culture and into the dictionary. Remember, words are tools or toys; we make them, use them, and change them. There are little Shakespeares all over the internet making up words right now. A word or term gets into the dictionary when enough people use it over and over again. They catch on, like Shakespeare’s “priceless” “never-ending” “day’s work.”
Oftentimes new terms are created by being compounded or combined with others. Technology has given us new words we need for all our modern habits like “binge-watch,” “selfie,” and “listicle.” Your online dictionary can now clarify the meaning of popular terms like “self-care,” “woke,” or “cray” (also “cray cray”).
Of course, politics call for new terms that come to stay, like, recently, “truthers,” “safe-spaces,” and “first world problems.” Our dictionaries also reflect how personal relationships have changed. Enough people have been “ghosted,” “friend-zoned,” and “sexted” to go ahead and look up what those mean. Head of US Dictionaries, Katherine Connor Martin, says the vocabulary of gender and sexuality has largely expanded “to reflect more complex understandings of this aspect of the human experience.” Consult your dictionary to define “cisgender” or “sociosexual.” Philosophers even still contribute new definitions; recently, the Oxford English Dictionary added “whataboutery,” sometimes called, “whataboutism.”
Like every age before us, our language reflects our culture, and so do our classic and digital dictionaries.
Young Voters Registered And Ready In Florida
-
Concerns Rise as Inner Circle Signals Retribution Against Opponents and Media Recent statements from key allies within Donald Trump’s...
-
Claims by the ‘Crimea Combat Seagulls’ of poisoning two dozen Russian soldiers raise questions, prompting scrutiny and calls for...
-
According to the latest annual report from the Tokyo metropolitan government, Tokyo finds itself at the bottom of Japan’s...
-
President Biden’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service takes crucial steps to protect wolverines in the face of climate change,...
-
A revealing look at the tensions, beliefs, and family dynamics within the British royal family In his latest book,...
-
President Biden invokes the Defense Production Act to strengthen American supply chains. In a strategic move to fortify American...
-
A single-engine aircraft en route from the Czech Republic to Croatia crashes in western Austria, prompting an investigation into...
-
Historic Bust: Massive Counterfeit Coin Operation Exposed, Unveiling Unprecedented Scale of Fake Toonies in Canada. In a groundbreaking development,...
-
An alarming surge in harassment prompts security concerns, as court staff, including Judge Engoron and his clerk, grapple with...
-
Global leaders from BRICS urge restraint, humanitarian truce, and diplomatic solutions to quell the Israel-Hamas tensions. In a landmark...
-
President Biden adds a touch of humor to the annual Thanksgiving turkey Jokes ceremony. President Joe Biden marked his...
-
Former First Lady’s Legacy Lives On in Dedication to Caregiving, Peace, and Mental Health Reform The Carter Center announces...