Courtesy Translation: Rheinland-Pfalz is getting ready for Omikron - DVIDS - Translation

Press Release from the State Government of Rheinland-Pfalz; from 23 DEC 2021
Courtesy Translation: Nadine Bower, Community Relations

Minister President Malu Dreyer, Health Minister Clemens Hoch, Economics Minister Daniela Schmitt, Interior Minister Roger Lewentz: We are preparing everything for an Omikron wave! – With boosters and protective measures, Rheinland-Pfalz is getting ready

"According to current expert opinion and with a view to affected neighboring countries, we have to prepare for a very rapidly increasing number of infections with the advent of the new virus variant Omikron. Initial findings show that Omikron can undermine vaccination protection. An effective protection against severe disease courses is provided above all by a booster vaccination. Even a double vaccination reduces the risk of becoming seriously ill by 70 percent. We are acting now to prevent too many infections and quarantine cases from leading to such large staff outages that the ability to work in health care and critical infrastructure such as police, fire brigade, electricity, water and food supply would be at risk. The vaccination campaign will continue at full speed in Rheinland-Pfalz on the days between the years," said Minister President Malu Dreyer after the consultations of the heads of government of the German federal states with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. "The state government is getting everything ready to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. The people of Rheinland-Pfalz can rely on this," said Minister President Malu Dreyer, Health Minister Clemens Hoch, Economics Minister Daniela Schmitt and Interior Minister Roger Lewentz.

The state government will implement the decisions of the Minister-Presidents' Conference in the current Corona Control Ordinance, accelerate the further expansion of the vaccination campaign and provide economic aid. The demonstrations against the Corona regulations will be closely monitored by the police in order to consistently prevent threats and intimidation attempts.

Germany is currently experiencing a paradox situation: incidences are falling slightly, but the threat of Corona is increasing. These are the assumptions from the Expert Council, which are now available. The reason for this is the highly contagious virus variant Omikron. The virus variant could undermine the vaccination protection. The safest way to protect against infection and severe courses is to get the booster vaccination. In London, as in the real-world laboratory, one can currently see that this enormously contagious variant leads to the fact that workforces are so thinned out by illness and quarantine that the maintenance of critical infrastructure such as police, fire deparment, health care or food supply is in danger. "It is not a question of whether, but only when and how strong Omikron will be predominant in Germany," said Minister President Malu Dreyer. Rheinland-Pfalz will be prepared for this: By vaccinating even faster between the years, with private contact restrictions, pandemic plans to minimize staff shortages in critical infrastructure, and more economic aid for those areas that are economically affected by corona regulations.

"We would all have liked a different Christmas days and turn of the year. The long duration of the pandemic and the new virus variant Omikron represent a great challenge for each and every one of us. Nevertheless, my urgent appeal to everyone is to behave responsibly, especially during the holidays. Celebrations should be as small as possible and the hygiene measures and keeping a distance should be adhered to. Please get tested as an additional protection in any case when you meet family members and their friends. This protects you and your loved ones," said the Minister President.

Vaccination protects against severe courses – registration for booster vaccination already possible after three months

Even if Omikron could partially undermine the vaccination protection, vaccination is still important. "It protects against severe disease courses," underlined Minister President Malu Dreyer. According to Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, a double vaccination, if it is not older than six months, protects 70 percent from hospitalization, even 80 percent from admission to an intensive care unit. Those who are boosted, therefore, even have a protection of up to 70 percent against an infection. The great risk in Germany for a collapse in hospitals and critical infrastructure is currently posed by the 10 million unvaccinated people.

"We appeal to all citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Experts expressly advise against delaying vaccination and against waiting for the availability of a vaccine adapted to the Omikron variant. Even those who have not yet been vaccinated, we urge them to protect themselves and others and to make an appointment for the first and second vaccination. With the Novavax vaccine, a protein-based vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency is now also available. This is what many who are very skeptical about mRNA vaccines have been waiting for," said Minister President Malu Dreyer and her cabinet members.

"The vaccination campaign in the country is in full swing. In the last week, we administered 375,000 vaccinations; which is a new record. This increase is also done with the booster vaccinations. As of today, more than 1.4 million people have received a booster shot. Anyone who wants a vaccination in January will get it. In addition, we are speeding up the registration process again: From Jan. 1, anyone can register for a vaccination appointment whose complete vaccination protection was only three months ago," announced Health Minister Clemens Hoch. "Even those who have not yet been vaccinated, my urgent appeal is to protect themselves and others and to make an appointment for the first and second vaccination, said the Minister of Health. He would like to thank the doctors in private practices and all health care workers for their contribution to the fight against the pandemic. The state government will continue to make full use of all vaccination capacities and ensure easy and fast access to vaccinations.

Contact restrictions in the private sector

In order to slow down the new wave with the Omikron variant, the contact restrictions will unfortunately also have to be gradually extended to vaccinated and recovered individuals, because the vaccination breakthroughs showed that they too can carry the virus. "In particular, New Year's Eve celebrations with a large number of people are simply too dangerous in the current situation," said Minister President Malu Dreyer. Therefore, starting on Dec. 28, 2021 at the latest, private gatherings of vaccinated and recovered individuals will only be allowed with a maximum of ten people. Children up to the age of 14 are exempt from this. As soon as an unvaccinated person participates in a meeting, the contact restrictions for unvaccinated persons apply: the meeting is therefore limited to one's own household and a maximum of two people from another household," said the Minister President.

Cross-regional events without spectators

Cross-regional sports, cultural and comparable major events will now take place without spectators.

Rheinland-Pfalz will close clubs and discotheques starting on Thursday. Here too the risk of infection in the current situation is simply too big, according to the Minister President.

Bridging aids

"The coronavirus is causing enormous economic damage. We are doing everything we can to cushion them," said Economics Minister Daniela Schmitt, and addressed the affected companies: "Take advantage of the possibilities of bridging aid if you are currently suffering a decrease in sales." Entrepreneurs can apply for bridging aid III Plus for the period from July to December 2021 if they have suffered a corona-related decrease in sales of at least 30 percent in one month compared to the same month in 2019.

Bridging aid III Plus covers essential operational fixed costs of a company. Depending on the decline in sales, the subsidy is between 40 and 100 percent of these costs. Companies that have been hit particularly hard will receive an equity grant, which is paid out in addition to the fixed cost aid. Especially the special regulations on seasonal goods introduced last year at the insistence of the federal states are helpful for many companies. "For restaurateurs, this means in detail: Anyone who has now bought food and cannot sell it because of guest cancelations or events cannot be held, will be reimbursed for the loss," said Minister Schmitt.

Assistance must be requested via so-called examining third parties. These are, in particular, tax consultants, auditors, lawyers or sworn accountants. In the case of bridging aid III Plus, it is possible to submit an amendment for an existing application if, for example, the forecast turnover figures have changed significantly. The application deadline for initial amendments ends on Mar. 31, 2022. "Anyone who has greater losses than assumed should submit an amendment," said Schmitt.

Starting in January, the bridging aid IV - the design of which is currently being drafted by the federal government - will take effect. At the Special Conference of Economic Affairs Ministers on Tuesday, Economics Minister Daniela Schmitt advocated that the subsidy rate should continue to be 100 percent of fixed costs. Booth operators who were affected by cancellations of Advent and Christmas markets should also be given special consideration. They are campaigning for a higher equity premium. There will also be a new edition of the restart aid, which is aimed primarily at solo self-employed. Here, too, the government is working on the concrete procedure.

Avoid overloading critical infrastructures

Scientists assume that the extremely contagious virus variant Omikron will increase infections and thus also quarantine cases so much that there could be considerable staff shortages. Therefore, operators in critical infrastructure such as police, fire department, healthcare, public transport or food supply will have to review their operational pandemic plans in order to ensure operation. The German Federal States shall ensure this in close coordination with the Federal Government. The newly established federal-state crisis unit will support this.

Amended regulation enters into force on 23 December

The amended regulation of the 29th Corona Control Ordinance will be announced today and will come into force tomorrow. From then on, among other things, the operation of clubs and discotheques is prohibited, according to the Minister President. In addition, for the upcoming Christmas holidays and the upcoming turn of the year, the regulations will be adapted in accordance with the decisions of the Minister Presidents of the German Federal States with the Federal Chancellor. By Dec. 28 at the latest, gatherings and meetings in public is limited to a maximum of ten people. This applies to all people, including vaccinated people. Only children up to the age of 14 are not counted. In addition, of course, the joint stay of non-immunized (unvaccinated) persons in public space is only permitted alone, with the members of one's own household and a maximum of two persons of another household. Furthermore, some clarifications and adjustments will be made. This applies, above all, to solo self-employed persons as well as religious communities. In addition, the previous regulations will continue to apply. The regulation will be extended until Jan. 20, 2022.

Corona protests will be observed and accompanied closely

Rheinland-Pfalz will not allow an increasingly radical minorities to threaten people who decide to follow corona measures or monitor their compliance.

"We are noticing that the protests against the corona measures are increasing. This past Monday alone, there were 72 meetings with about 6,600 participants. The protests were not announced in advance or prohibited by orders of the competent authorities. Although the gatherings were mostly trouble-free and peaceful, in Frankenthal, for example, an AFD city council member showed the so-called 'Hitler salute' and in Idar-Oberstein an attempt was made to free a member of the Reichsbürger scene from police measures. Against this background, I can only warn all those who are attracted to the protests: Do not follow the extremists. Do not march with those who reject our democratic society," Interior Minister Roger Lewentz appealed.

"The security authorities continue to keep a close eye on the protests. On this Monday alone, more than 1,000 police officers were on duty and carried out over 250 identity checks. Our state is defensive and will continue to consistently protect the reasonable majority from a ruthless minority," the Interior Minister continued. He called on all citizens to show social solidarity and get vaccinated. "We can only defeat this pandemic together," Lewentz said.

Source: https://ift.tt/3JqJKCW

Date Taken:	12.23.2021
Date Posted:	12.28.2021 05:19
Story ID:	411957
Location:	WIESBADEN, HE, DE

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Government awards Asturian Bible translation - Evangelical Focus - Translation

The translation of the Bible into Asturian, published by the Spanish Bible Society, has won the first Florina Alías prize, promoted by the regional Council of Culture, Linguistic Policy and Tourism and endowed with 6,000 Euros.

Asturian is mainly spoken in the Northern region of Asturias, but some minorities in the Spanish regions of Leon and Cantabria, as well as in Portugal, also speak the language.

The jury highlighted “the philological apparatus developed to translate from the original languages, the immense work carried out over more than 30 years, and its complexity”.

They also emphasised “the quality and richness of the translated text, a key work of universal culture”.

The judges met on Sunday, during the first edition of the Days of Asturian Translation. Seven works competed.

The main aspects that are assessed in this award are the quality of the work, the cultural and social value of the original work and its contribution to the cultural heritage of Asturias.

The prize pays tribute to Florina Alías, a poetess and storyteller who published several books in Asturian. Alías is a reference in Spanish post-Civil War literature written in Asturian.

The Bible has been translated by a team of experts in biblical languages and Asturian. The philologist Ramón de Andrés Díaz has been in charge of supervising the whole process, which was developed over more than three decades.

The idea was promoted in 1988 by the Jesuit Federico González-Fierro Botas, the evangelical pastor Rubén Fernández-Valle, both now deceased, and José Luis Andavert, then then director of the Spanish Bible Society.

Andavert expressed his joy for the award in social media, pointing out that “it is a well-deserved recognition to all those who made the Bible in Asturian possible, especially translators and reviewers”.

Ricardo Moraleja, coordinator of Bible translations for the Spanish Bible Society, explained in an interview with Spanish news website Protestante Digital many details about this translation.

“We would like the Bible to become a reference for the good use of Asturian. We want it to be the reference text in both the ecclesiastical and civil spheres in Asturias”, he said.

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Uber's Roadmap to Machine Translation as a Product - Slator - Translation

4 hours ago

Operating in 10,000 cities in more than 70 countries, Uber has become the de facto transportation and delivery platform for many users, whether traveling or staying close to home. In either case, users and drivers often do not speak their language, a situation that eventually became an ideal use case for in-app machine translation (MT). 

Uber had already been localizing for a while when the company recognized the need to scale operations, which prompted an exploration of MT in 2019, starting with support content in just five languages and expanding to include different content in, as of 2021, 52 languages.

Speaking at SlatorCon Remote December 2021, Language Quality and Localization Operation Manager Hameed Afssari explained that while the timeline may seem short, the team took a measured approach. 

“At the beginning we had post-editing, copyediting, and review — three steps after MT,” Afssari said. “We slowly removed some of these steps to make the process even more rapid.”

By 2021, MT was well-established in Uber’s traditional translation processes, and the team decided that MT could be a product. Internally, Uber uses MT to translate many internal documents, and to show other departments how their product might look in another language. The majority of work, however, is with external customers, whose content varies widely based on the many services Uber offers. Uber brought MT training in-house and created a self-service translation portal where clients can access an instant translation for an immediate need. 

Afssari recommends evaluating multiple MT engines by language, using several different measures, for the best fit. In researching English – Brazilian Portuguese MT, for example, the company partnered with Intento to evaluate 18 options, which solidified Uber’s original choice of MT engine. Overall, the team has found that custom engines tend to produce higher quality translations than stock engines. 

Beyond quality, Afssari said, “you have to look at [MT] as an enabler of doing more with less and using your linguists or your partners to do the more crucial job of making the MT better and reviewing content.” At Uber, human linguists still review sampling from MT engines. Uber’s “global content ambassadors” (i.e., on-the-ground regional stakeholders for different languages and markets) also provide feedback on MT. Both groups, he added, have been impressed by the MT quality. 

“Consistently, we’ve seen that that partnership yields the best results in terms of cost, quality, and delivery of results,” Afssari said. 

Watch “Uber’s Journey to Using MT” with Hameed Afssari, and the full SlatorCon Remote December 2021 event, on demand here.

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Word of the year: perseverance - The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald - Roanoke Chowan News Herald - Dictionary

It’s difficult to sum up a whole year in just one word. But we sure do like to try every December!

As the year draws to a close, all the English dictionaries choose their “word of the year” to try to represent a brief summary of our collective experience over the past 12 months. They use different metrics and methods to figure out the best word. Oftentimes, it ends up being the most-searched word, since that typically indicates that it’s a word on a lot of people’s minds. The “word of the year” is usually a hot topic of discussion for a sustained period of time.

Last year, despite how everything was unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before, it seemed pretty easy to find a word to sum it all up. Two different dictionaries picked “pandemic,” referring to the COVID-19 outbreak that continues to affect people all across the world and right here at home.

Another dictionary chose “lockdown” to refer to the public health measures that were implemented at the beginning of the pandemic to help slow the spread of the virus.

Even the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) decided that they couldn’t choose just one word last year, instead picking several that related to the pandemic, including “social distancing,” “self-quarantine,” “Blursday,” and “mask-shaming.”

This year’s results were a little more split. Some were still pandemic-related while others returned back to other topics taking our attention in 2021.

OED declared “vax” as their word of the year, referring of course to a shortened form of the word “vaccine” or “vaccinated.” As their website notes, the word hadn’t been used very frequently until this year. By September, it was “over 72 times more frequent” than the same time in the prior year.

Vax is a pretty versatile word which can be used in a wide range of informal contexts. The OED’s examples are probably familiar terms we’ve heard and used a lot this year, such as “vax sites,” “vax cards,” “getting vaxxed,” and “fully vaxxed.”

Similarly, Merriam-Webster chose “vaccine” as their word of the year. Their website explains that words are useful tools for us to communicate all sorts of ideas, but sometimes words even “become vehicles for ideological conflict.”

No word other than “vaccine” garnered as much discussion and arguments during this past year.

“The biggest science story of our time quickly became the biggest debate in our country, and the word at the center of both stories is ‘vaccine’,” said Merriam-Webster’s website.

According to their statistics, lookups for the word increased 601 percent since last year, and that number jumps to 1,048 percent if you compare 2021 to lookups in 2019. No matter where we go, vaccines remain at the forefront of discussion. And as long as the pandemic sticks around, I don’t think we’re going to stop talking about vaccines any time soon.

But on a lighter note, I think it’s kind of an interesting fact that the word “vaccine” comes from the Latin word for cow (“vacca”) because doses of cowpox were originally used as inoculation to protect humans from smallpox. The word dates back to the 1880s.

For a change of pace, Collins Dictionary picked “NFT” as their word. They always seem to have a history of picking words that are unexpected compared to other dictionaries. (In the past, for example, they’ve chosen a lot of environmentally-related words.)

If you’re wondering what an “NFT” is, you’re not alone, because it’s a tech-based word that’s really only started to enter the mainstream in the last year.

NFT stands for “non-fungible token” which is apparently “a digital certificate of ownership of a unique asset, such as an artwork or a collectible.”

Honestly, the only reason I’ve heard of this word is that I’ve seen many people online angry about NFTs, which apparently make it really easy to steal other people’s artwork and make a profit off of it. I’m still not quite sure what NFTs are, but I’m not really interested in them at all. This is one word of the year I don’t care to hear more about in the future.

If I were judging all the different words of the year (I’m not really, though), I might would select Dictionary.com’s as the best of the bunch. And that’s simply because it’s not pandemic-related at all.

They chose “allyship” as the 2021 word of the year. It’s a new entry to the dictionary this year, meaning “the role of a person who advocates and actively works for the inclusion of a marginalized or politicized group in all areas of society, not as a member of that group but in solidarity with its struggle and point of view and under its leadership.”

Explaining their decision, dictionary.com stated, “allyship acts as powerful prism through which to view the defining events and experiences of 2021 – and crucially, how the public processed them.”

The word has been frequently used in the past 15 years, but searches for it surged over 700 percent recently.

I agree that it’s a pretty good word to define 2021, since it serves as a reminder that we must continue to support and advocate for each other, despite our differences. How else can we learn to live together peacefully in society if we do not try to reach out and help those who are suffering?

Personally, I also like to choose my own “word of the year” as well to describe how I managed to make it through the past twelve months. My word for 2021 is “perseverance.”

Last year, I picked “adapt” to describe how I had to adjust to living and working through a pandemic. But figuring out new ways to do things safely is only just the beginning. Despite hoping for a return to normal this year, the pandemic persisted. And so did the rest of us.

So I think “perseverance” is a good word to describe life in 2021. Things are kind of falling back into place, but it’s still nothing like life before all this began. It’s been exhausting at times, but I haven’t given up yet.

The sun still rises each morning no matter what’s happening in the world, and so do I. And I hope to carry that spirit of perseverance into next year too.

What would be your personal Word of the Year?

Holly Taylor is a Staff Writer for Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact her at holly.taylor@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7206.

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New translation of ‘Bambi’ showcases tale as allegory on early Austrian antisemitism - The Times of Israel - Translation

The 1942 animated film “Bambi” has charmed generations and has cemented its status as a cinema classic. However, the tale has a darker origin, dating to the antisemitism of 1920s Austria.

A new translation is looking to showcase the original text as a parable foreshadowing the fate of Jews in the Holocaust, The Guardian reported Saturday. Departing from the somewhat sanitized version audiences are familiar with, the new text is aiming to make clear the political and societal undertones that informed the original version.

The new edition will be published by Princeton University Press and released in the US on January 18, 2022, translated by Jack Zipes, a professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota, and illustrated by Alenka Sottler.

Felix Salten, a rabbi’s grandson born in Austria-Hungry in 1869, wrote the iconic and poignant tale of the fawn bereaved of his mother by hunters in 1922, under the title “Bambi: A Life in the Woods.”

Salten was a product of the cultural blossoming in the capital of the Austro-Hungarian empire around the turn of the 20th century, a prolific writer who moved in the same circles as the likes of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis.

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But beneath the trappings of prestige and privilege that were afforded Salten, a dark undercurrent of antisemitism was sweeping through Austria, a trend that he picked up on and that informed his writing while he was putting together this work.

“The darker side of ‘Bambi’ has always been there,” Zipes told The Guardian. “But what happens to Bambi at the end of the novel has been concealed, to a certain extent, by the Disney corporation taking over the book and making it into a pathetic, almost stupid film about a prince and a bourgeois family.”

The original book, Zipes said, was “about survival in your own home,” as hunters invade the forest and “kill whatever animal they want.”

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A new translation of ‘Bambi: A Life in the Woods.’ (Princeton University Press)

“All the animals have been persecuted. And I think what shakes the reader is that there are also some animals who are traitors, who help the hunters kill,” he said. “Bambi does not survive well, at the end. He is alone, totally alone… It is a tragic story about the loneliness and solitude of Jews and other minority groups.”

“I think [Salten] foresaw the Holocaust,” he continued. “He had suffered greatly as a young boy from antisemitism and at that time, in Austria and Germany, Jews were blamed for the loss of the first world war. This novel is an appeal to say: no, this shouldn’t happen.”

On its publication in 1923, the book did not enjoy immediate success among the reading public.

However, in the 1930s, Salten — himself a hunter — sold the film rights for the text for $1,000 to an American producer, who in turn sold them to Disney.

As for the book itself, “Felix Salten changed publishers and from then on it became much more successful,” said Ursula Storch, curator of an exhibition on Salten and other neglected artists in Vienna at the Wien Museum.

“Of course it was made even more famous by the film adaptation in 1942,” Storch told AFP earlier this year.

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But by then, “Bambi,” along with the rest of Salten’s work, had been banned because he was Jewish, first in Germany and then in Austria after Hitler’s annexation of the country in 1938.

Felix Salten (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Storch said that while Salten himself never offered a commentary on the meaning of the book, it is a powerful evocation of the dark side of human nature and the relationship between humans and the environment.

“It’s a book which is deeply anchored in its time and is much more than a simple children’s story about the loss of one’s mother,” said philosopher Maxime Rovere, who authored the preface to a previous French edition of the book.

Given “the impression of fear, the way the animals must constantly escape,” Rovere said it is “impossible not to make the link with [Salten’s] personal experience,” living as he did through an era of rising antisemitism.

In March 1939, Salten fled to Switzerland, taking with him a library comprising thousands of volumes.

Two years later, the Nazis stripped him of his nationality, and he ended up dying in Zurich in 1945, alone and in despair, with no safe place to call home — much like Bambi.

AFP contributed to this report.

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Award-Winning YA Horror Comic The Crows Gets English Translation - Screen Rant - Translation

This upcoming April, Dark Horse Comics will bring an English translation of the award-nominated Young Adult horror comic The Crows to stores. This original graphic novel, which was originally published in Sweden, is a folk-horror story looking at themes of familial trauma and reconciliation. The Crows was written by Anders Fager with art by Peter Bergting; the book goes on sale in comic shops April 13, with a bookstore release on April 26.

The folk horror genre has seen a resurgence in popularity and interest over the past few years, thanks to films such as Midsommar and The Witch. The genre can trace its roots back to writers such as Shirley Jackson and films such as The Wicker Man; folk horror stresses the horrors that come with rural isolation, and often draw on local folklore and superstitions. The genre has become prominent in comics as well, thanks to works such as Emily Carroll’s Through the Woods and Double Walker, by Michael Conrad, Noah Bailey and Taylor Esposito. Last year, Swedish publishers Natur and Kultur published The Crows, a folk-horror graphic novel aimed at young adults. The book drew acclaim from the Swedish press and was nominated for a prestigious August Prize. Now, Dark Horse is bringing this international best-seller to American audiences, in a new English translation.

Related: Hellbound's Original Manga Gets First Official English Translation

Dark Horse Comics provided AIPT with a first look at The Crows, including the cover art, shared below. Billed as a “young adult horror-mystery graphic novel,” the story begins when Kim inherits a farmhouse in rural Sweden. Kim, constantly reminded of the monsters in the land and in her head, must content with her traumatic upbringing, embarking on a journey into darkness, a journey of self.

The folk horror resurgence of the past years is due in part to acclaimed movies such as Hereditary but also the stress and bustle of the modern world. Folk horror reminds readers that even in our modern world of smart phones and 5G, there are still ancient threats lurking in the rural areas so often overlooked. These works are the perfect vehicles for exploring not only themes of isolation, but trauma as well, and The Crows accomplishes this. The Crows was nominated for an August Prize, and in their notes, the jury said the themes of generational trauma are “depicted as never before.” The jury, along with numerous other critics, praised Fager’s writing and ability to create a text working on different levels, as well as Bergting’s art, calling it “evocative.”

The audience for folk horror is growing, and Dark Horse Comics is bringing The Crows, a young adult folk horror graphic novel, to fans in America, promising another definitive entry in the genre.

Next: Dark Horse's Cloaked Shows A Batman/Robin Relationship Never Seen Before

Source: AIPT

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About The Author

Shaun Corley (1135 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he's turned his attention to writing about comic books--his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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In a word: 'Nones,' 'NTF,' 'jab' and more words of 2021 - Lewiston Sun Journal - Dictionary

Back in July I wrote for the second time about some of the new words that had recently entered our vocabulary because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I began the piece hoping that we would be finally enjoying a “summer of freedom” from the virulent virus.

Obviously I was wrong; COVID is still with us and, as is its habit, it’s added even more new words to our vocabulary. This time I’ll take a look at some of those words along with a few non-COVID words that have recently been in the news.

Let’s start out by considering the “words of the year” as anointed by several of the major dictionary publishers. First up is Merriam-Webster, which chose “vaccine” as its word of the year based on the not-surprising 600 percent increase in look-ups of the word.

Somewhat surprisingly, however, the people at the Oxford Dictionary selected “vax,” and not the more British-sounding “jab” as its word of the year.

The editors of the Cambridge Dictionary made “perseverance,” (“the continued effort to do or achieve something, even when this is difficult or takes a long time”) its selection, based on nearly 250,000 lookups. Interest in the word peaked at more than 30,000 views between February 18–24 as the Perseverance Rover was making its final descent toward Mars.

Dictionary.com selected “allyship” (the role of a person who advocates for inclusion of a marginalized or politicized group) as its word of the year. According to the editors, “allyship” has been around since the mid-1800s but had been added to the dictionary only last month, making this the first time they have chosen a word that’s new to their dictionary as their word of the year.

The editors of Collins Dictionary went in a different direction and selected “NFT” as their word of the year. NFT is the abbreviation of “non-fungible token,” which is the unique digital identifier that records ownership of a digital asset. It beat out “crypto” and “cheugy” for the honor.

Although it’s not a word of the year, “Meta” became newsworthy because it’s the new name of Facebook. “Meta” is taken from “metaverse,” which was coined by Neal Stephenson for his 1992 novel “Snow Crash.” The definitions of “meta” are: the function key that is activated by simultaneously holding down a control key, or a creative work referring to itself.

And this just in: The Pew Research Center reports that 29 percent of U.S. adults “are religious ‘nones,’ – people who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or ‘nothing in particular’ when asked about their religious identity.” I wonder how all the nuns feel about all the “nones.” (That was a long way to go for a bad pun. Sorry.)

On the pandemic front, once enough people got vaccinated and even “boosted,” we now have “breakthrough” infections of COVID. Fortunately, the symptoms suffered by fully vaccinated people are usually much milder than those that afflict the unvaccinated.

And, in case you were wondering, you’ve been “boosted” (not “boostered”) if you’ve gotten all three jabs – at least according to the experts on the Today show.

First we had the delta variant and now it’s omicron. Who’d have thought that we’d ever need to be afraid of the Greek alphabet? But enough about that, who wants some holiday pi? (I’m guessing nobody.)

Jim Witherell of Lewiston is a writer and lover of words whose work includes “L.L. Bean: The Man and His Company” and “Ed Muskie: Made in Maine.” He can be reached at [email protected]

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