You have undoubtedly noticed over the past several years that there has been an infusion of 'new' and probably somewhat odd words into our lexicon. Actually, this has been going on for a very long time. Each time you have seen or heard one you have probably, as I have, thought, "what?", where did that come from and what exactly does it mean?... And they keep coming. These are called neoterisms. The invention of a new word. Sometimes they're words that have been around for a long time, but have taken a new meaning. I suppose that lexicographers figure that at some point, once they fall into mainstream usage, they then qualify to become an official new entry into the language. And there are quite a number of them. Neologisms, as they are also called, usually result if the public takes a liking to a word and uses it a lot. Let's take a look.
Merriam Webster added 200 new words to the dictionary in 2024. Other lexicographers have added as many or more. Some of the more common ones that have perhaps been heard more often include such terms as 'woke'. In the mid twentieth century, woke had come to mean well informed or aware, especially in a political or cultural sense. Now, generally woke is an umbrella term for subscribing to progressive values. The term was originally coined by progressive Black Americans and used in racial justice movements in the early to mid 1900's. Young people and segmented cultures tend to come up with new words more often, and for whatever reason some of them tend to 'stick'. Perhaps one of the most famous of the day is 'MAGA', Make America Great Again. It was certainly no one from Gen Z who thought of this one. But it is undoubtedly a word which will live in the history books. And how about 'bussin', meaning great, wonderful or amazing. This word originates in African American culture and is likely based on the term 'bust', meaning to explode, to do well, or to enjoy. Another word that has been around for some time (acronym, actually) is FOMO/JOMO. Stands for 'Fear of missing out/Joy of missing out. These are actual (perceived) conditions. I suppose... How about Troll. We have all heard this one. A troll is one who makes entries or statements online to incite controversy. Not to stimulate conversation but simply to stir up trouble. Biohacking. Making incremental changes to your body and your lifestyle to improve overall health. That's a new one to me. Unplug. It's no longer to pull the electrical cord of an appliance from the wall. It's to disconnect from the stressors of life. Thankfully, it still includes pulling electrical cords from the wall. 'Mansplain' is another. It combines the word 'man' and 'explain'. No further explanation is needed...
Here's an interesting thing to consider. With new words and phrases being invented constantly, there are and were actually words and phrases that appeared but once in the recorded history of a language, the works of an author or in a context. They are known as 'hapax legomenon'. Some examples include the word 'apoculamus' meaning 'we rush off', found in section 62 of the Satyricon. Hapax legomenons are actually quite common, I suppose, something like neoterisms. So coming up with new words isn't something unique to recent times. The specific cultural and social circumstances that might facilitate a new word coming into mainstream use aren't known. Probably because they are constantly changing, just like our vocabulary. It's quite likely that a good many of these incipient words and phrases are born on social media sites.
Let's explore some more. IYKYK; if you know, you know. Stan; a combination of the words stalker and fan. GOAT; greatest of all time. Clap back, aka comeback or verbal retaliation. Flex; showing off one's accomplishments. Originated in Black culture in the 90's, often used in rap songs. Cheugy; a Gen Z term that gained popularity on TikTok, describes anything that is considered uncool, untrendy, or people who stick to older trends. Ghosted; emerged from the online dating landscape and describes a romantic partner who withdraws suddenly, into anonymity. Rejection without any explanation. Sus; when something or someone doesn't seem right. A shortened version of 'suspicious'. 'Tea' is all about exchanging juicy gossip. Derived from the 80's and 90's ball culture which is where LGBTQ people performed in drag competitions to celebrate their queerness. Rizz; romantic appeal or charm. Situationship; is a casual, undefined, commitment-free relationship. Touch grass; to participate in normal activities in the real world especially as opposed to online experiences and interactions. Deepfake; images, videos, or audio which are edited or generated using artificial intelligence tools. They may depict real or non-existent people. And let's not leave out bandwidth. Originally, a tech word referring to the signal strength or capacity of a communication medium. Now bandwidth is used more to describe a person's work capacity or ability.
With the constant stream of new words and expressions coming our way, we need a lot of bandwidth to keep up with them all...
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