English to Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian, French Translation: 9 Star Wars Words That Have Even Made Their Way Into The Dictionary - Screen Rant

Summary

Star Wars terminology has become so ingrained in society that words like "parsec," "droid," and "Jedi" have been included in dictionaries.
The origins and meanings of these Star Wars terms, such as the definition of "parsec" and the distinction between "droid" and "android," are now officially recognized.
The inclusion of Star Wars terms like "lightsaber," "Padawan," and "hyperspace" in dictionaries demonstrates the lasting impact and influence of the franchise on pop culture and language.

For more than 40 years Star Wars terminology has permeated society’s lexicon, so much so that some words have even been added to the dictionary. The original Star Wars trilogy firmly cemented its place in pop culture that by the time the prequel trilogy came out in the late 1990s, phrases, and words from the original trilogy were generally understood by the majority of society. With other pop culture words and phrases being officially included in the dictionary, it’s no wonder that phrases and vernacular used in Star Wars made their way in as well.

Star Wars is known for its wonky, almost Shakespearean-like dialogue, which was only heightened by audiences being introduced to new terms, histories, and galaxies unlike anything audiences had known before. While it’s now hard to imagine a time before terms like “Jedi” and “lightsaber” weren’t in society's lexicon, it’s taken dictionaries a long time to incorporate some of Star Wars’ most famous words into their dictionary. Engines like Google have helped fill in the gap when it comes to needing definitions, but for those who require the old-fashioned dictionary, these Star Wars terms can be found as a standard part of the American and English languages.

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9 One of Han Solo’s Most Famous Words Made The Dictionary

Parsec

In the first Star Wars movie (later retitled A New Hope), Han Solo declared that his ship, the Millennium Falcon, was the only vessel to made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. At the time, it was unclear what a parsec was, as Solo’s line seemed to indicate that it was in fact a measurement of time and not distance. However, it's now been given a standard definition according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary: “a unit of measure for interstellar space that is equal to 3.26 light-years and is the distance to an object having a parallax of one second as seen from points separated by one astronomical unit.”

Solo: A Star Wars Story explained the Kessel Run, revealing this runs through a black hole cluster. Pilots shave distance off the Kessel Run by flying perilously close to the event horizon, and Han flew closer than anyone else. He was only able to escape with the help of engines boosted by coaxium.

8 A New Version of an Older Word

Droid

Star Wars uses the word "droid" to refer to any mechanical being, ranging from mouse droids to C-3PO. The word is actually a shortened form of "android," a robot created to look like a human. Although "droid" has made its way into the dictionary, notably in Merriam-Webster, they tend to use it to refer purely to androids - unlike Star Wars.

7 The Force is Strong With This Noun

Jedi

One of the most famous inventions from George Lucas’ franchise is the idea of Jedi. Jedi, of course are individuals who are Force-sensitive and operate on the light side of the Force. These warriors usually carry lightsabers. Many within the Jedi Order were killed during Order 66, which was originally introduced in Star Wars Episode III—Revenge of the Sith. Both Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary have included the term Jedi into their dictionaries, though the definition changes slightly based on which dictionary is being used.

Merriam-Webster gives a more broad definition, stating that a Jedi is “a person who shows extraordinary skill or expertise in a specified field or endeavor.” However, the Oxford English Dictionary denotes that the term Jedi comes from the Star Wars galaxy and is part of a group of heroic, skilled monks. It’s an interesting difference, with Merriam-Webster seemingly implying that “Jedi” could be applied to just about anyone, whereas Oxford specifies that it’s a Star Wars-derived word.

6 A Jedi’s Greatest Weapon Made the List

Lightsaber

While Merriam-Webster has yet to include the Jedi iconic weapon in their dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary has. The weapon can be found as both the American spelling of “lightsaber” and the British “lightsabre.” It’s been defined by Oxford as a sword-like weapon that has a destructive beam of light instead of a blade. While the definition fails to mention the kyber crystals that power the weapon, it's otherwise pretty spot on.

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5 Apprentices Get a Nod in the Dictionary

Padawan

The Jedi apprentices are known to fans as Padawans. This term has permeated into pop culture, often to refer to someone who is inexperienced, naive, or lacking in knowledge about a subject. "Padawan" has, therefore, made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary - which even gives readers the idea it refers to a Jedi in training. Merriam-Webster's definition fails to include the Jedi origin, simply referring to an inexperienced or naive individual.

4 Interplanetary Travel Gets a Nod

Hyperspace

Science-fiction author Isaac Asimov invented the concept of hyper-space to allow for interplanetary travel in his Foundation series, but it was George Lucas who popularized it with Star Wars - and shortened it slightly, making it one word, "hyperspace." This has become a staple of science-fiction, which explains why it is also found in Merriam-Webster. There, after a basic definition, the dictionary gives a second one in which hyperspace is called “a fictional space in which extraordinary events happen.” The recent examples used on the website even cite a passage involving Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger going into hyperspace.

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3 Another Weapon Has Found Its Place (Kind of)

Blaster

The term blaster has history dating back to the 1300s, but the kind of handheld weapon used in Star Wars has been a recent addition. Merriam-Webster lists the third definition as “a handheld weapon similar to a gun that fires bolts of energy instead of physical projectiles.” A fairly civilized definition for a weapon that Obi-Wan Kenobi famously called “so uncivilized.”

2 It Lives in Everything (Including the Dictionary)

Force

The word “force” has been around for hundreds of years, so while this term wasn’t added to the dictionary after the release of Star Wars, an additional sense of the word was added in 2019. This demarcates that within Star Wars Force is capitalized, signifying its mystical origins. While not the most exciting entry on this list, it’s still fun to see.

1 These Are The Words You’re Looking For

Jedi Mind Trick

Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope

The famous trick originally used by Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope has gotten its very own entry in the dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a Jedi mind trick as “a telepathic technique of psychological manipulation used by the Jedi." In common usage, a Jedi mind trick refers to someone who has been put under the spell of another. While the Jedi don’t use spells, it is still a fair comparison, especially for people unfamiliar with the term and its origins.

Star Wars is approaching its 50th anniversary in just a few short years, and it's amazing to see how this franchise has effected everyday life. Not only has the Star Wars impacted its fans, but it has permeated society as a whole, even people who may have never seen the movies know what a lightsaber is. As the galaxy continues to expand and evolve, it's likely that more and more words that originated in Star Wars will be added to dictionaries, and it'll be exciting to see what comes next.

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Sunday, December 3, 2023

9 Star Wars Words That Have Even Made Their Way Into The Dictionary - Screen Rant - Dictionary