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Oxford Languages which publishes the Word of the Year said in 2020 words that “12 months ago we couldn’t have imagined ourselves using, are now part of everyday lexicon.”
In a statement on Monday, Oxford Languages announced the publication of the language report titled Words of an Unprecedented Year 2020.
It said this allowed the team at Oxford Languages to share the evidence-based data it had to track and analyse the unfolding story.
“Previously, the Oxford Word of the Year has been selected as a word or expression shown through usage evidence to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past twelve months, and to have potential as a term of lasting cultural significance.
The Language of Covid19
“Dating back to the 1960s, Coronavirus was previously mainly used by scientific and medical specialists but, by April 2020, it had become one of the most frequently used nouns in the English language, exceeding even the usage of the word time. By May, it had been surpassed by Covid19”
“The arrival of the pandemic, (a word which has seen usage increase by over 57 000% this year) has undoubtedly brought with it a language of its own, revitalizing existing words and introducing us to new ones. “
“Depending on where you are in the world, you may have experienced a circuit-breaker, lockdown, or have been asked to shelter-in-place, all words that saw huge increases in usage from March.
“Many of us formed support bubbles or pods, started to wear face masks or face coverings, and became familiar with calling medics, delivery drivers, and supermarket staff key workers, front-liners or essential workers.”
Oxford Languages said the pandemic also sparked a revolution in our working habits.
Two words that have seen more than a 300% usage growth since March are remote and remotely.
“Got a meeting? Best ensure you are not on mute (along with unmute) this has seen a significant rise in usage this year).”
Need a change of scene?
Take a workation (a holiday in which one also works) or book a staycation, holidaying at home or in your home country. Both words have seen an increase in usage, almost 500% and 380% respectively.
The Environment
“The pandemic has meant that climate change has not received nearly the amount of media coverage it has in previous years. However, precisely because of Covid-19, we have seen the introduction of a new word – anthropause, referring to the global slowdown of travel and other human activity and the subsequent welcome consequences, such as a decrease in light and noise pollution.
Casper Grathwohl, President, Oxford Dictionaries, said: “I’ve never witnessed a year in language like the one we’ve just had. The Oxford team was identifying hundreds of significant new words and usages as the year unfolded, dozens of which would have been a slam dunk for Word of the Year at any other time. It’s both unprecedented and a little ironic— in a year that left us speechless, 2020 has been filled with new words unlike any other.”
