In a culture, language is the most important and powerful tool for emphasising its values. It evolves over time through the experiences of the community, just as we evolve in our own lives. In fact, we observe this evolution by adding newly coined words to our personal vocabularies each year. Some of these words may seem strange, annoying, useful or of limited use, but they all leave their mark on many minds during that year.
In 2022, for example, the Oxford Dictionary chose “goblin mod as its word of the year, while Collins chose “permacrisis”. As well as the many words recognised by well-known dictionaries, there are countless others. Visit their websites to find out more.
‘Goblin mode’ — a slang term, often used in the expressions ‘in goblin mode’ or ‘to go goblin mode’ — is ‘a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.’
Collins Dictionary has named “permacrisis” as its word of the year after a period which has seen people live through war, inflation, climate change and political instability.
Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash
The widespread use of the Internet has had a significant impact on the public acceptance of these words. As a result, these words are often associated with global issues or internet terms and slang.
On the other hand, there are other words or phrases that I don’t usually like to read over and over again, but these are usually due to the intensive use of social media. Although these words are kept up to date through the use of people who are constantly present in online media, they also become part of our daily lives over time, leading to a narrowing of the vocabulary.
Languages should be rich and varied. They are observers of the whole of human history, while we are but letters in that historical continuum. The unique ways in which we act, love, speak, dream, joke, describe, swear and pray contribute to our own culture, which is shaped by languages. Nations should take great care to preserve these languages because they reflect the collective consciousness of humanity over the centuries.
Languages are dynamic and change is inevitable. Meanings may be lost or transformed, but these are not anomalies but evidence of the continuous flow of the common spirit within languages.
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