TGIF. Language and usage in the news this fortnight: this year’s new legit words — both in life and in Scrabble; the controversy over Sanskrit; baby talk — in humans and turtles; John Oliver’s new phrase goes urban; and what’s in a name – your name? It might be more important than you think …
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Oxford Dictionaries have added some new words to the dictionary, including YOLO, amazeballs, and binge-watch. Time has the adorbs story. And while we’re on the subject: Merriam-Webster has released a new version of the Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary with 5,000 new words, added to reflect new trends, styles and facts of the 21st century. … Words like “vlog,” “yuzu,” “soju,” “selfie,” “hashtag” and “beatbox” are now a part of the game.” Forbes reports on the new words in play.
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Might your name be making you lonely or disturbed? “Over the last 70 years, researchers have tried to gauge the effect on an individual of having an unusual name. It is thought that our identity is partly shaped by the way we are treated by other people – a concept psychologists call the “looking-glass self” – and our name has the potential to colour our interactions with society. Early studies found that men with uncommon first names were more likely to drop out of school and be lonely later in life. One study found that psychiatric patients with more unusual names tended to be more disturbed.” Read more in the BBC News analysis.
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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has reported on its Facebook page that “Calling dingo” now has its own Urban Dictionary entry. “We’ve truly made it,” boasts the late-night comedian/chat show host of his new phrase.
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“India’s new government focus on Sanskrit has sparked a fresh debate over the role language plays in the lives of the country’s religious and linguistic minorities.” This controversy was reignited during Sanskrit week — a celebration of the classical language across hundreds of schools mandated by India’s new federal right-wing government. The BBC reports.
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“Council bosses in Aberdeen were left red-faced after an “unfortunate oversight” in an in-house publication became an unlikely hit online. An image of the front cover of the local authority’s newsletter that is distributed to council housing tenants, Newsbite, has been shared widely on social media. The letter ‘b’ was obscured by the front page image, leaving a rather different headline.” The UK’s Press and Journal gave us this newsbite …
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According to The Times, babies practice their first word in their heads for months before saying it out loud. Baby turtles are also on their game linguistically. The Smithsonian magazine explains how they co-ordinate their hatching by talking to each other through their egg shells.
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