As the English language continually evolves, dictionaries will issue updates to include new words.
One online source, Dictionary.com, is raising eyebrows with its latest update, adding 600 new words for 2021. Among them: "supposably," "finna," and "doomscrolling."
The site defines "supposably" as an adverb meaning "as may be assumed, imagined, or supposed." The word is often heard in South Florida, where locals have long used "supposably" in lieu of "supposedly."
According to Dictionary.com, "finna" is a "phonetic spelling representing the African American Vernacular English variant of 'fixing to.'"
"Doomscrolling," which became popular in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, is defined as "the practice of obsessively checking online news for updates, especially on social media feeds, with the expectation that the news will be bad, such that the feeling of dread from this negative expectation fuels a compulsion to continue looking for updates in a self-perpetuating cycle."
Advertisement
RELATED: ‘Astronomically rare’ snake with 3 'emoji' smiley faces sells for $6,000
The website said its team touched on over 7,600 entries, adding new words as well as giving new definitions and pronunciations to existing entries.
The coronavirus pandemic gave way to technical words and revised social behaviors, such as "hybrid learning" and "elbow bump."
With the summer of 2020's racial justice movements, Dictionary.com added "BIPOC," or "Black, Indigenous, and People of Color" as well as revising its guidance on capitalizing to give respect to identities and cultures.
The presidential election of 2020 also spawned new entries, including "Second Gentleman," in reference to Vice President Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff, and "deepfake," regarding conspiracy theories and widespread misinformation videos in the lead up to the election.
To see more of the new words on the list, visit Dictionary.com's website.
No comments:
Post a Comment