In an era defined by rapid technological advancement and the ubiquity of social media, it’s no surprise that internet culture is playing an increasingly influential role in shaping the evolution of language. Perhaps no tradition captures this phenomenon more vividly than Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year campaign, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2024. As lexicographers prepare to unveil this year’s winning word, a reflection on the past two decades reveals a fascinating tapestry of how online communication has left an indelible mark on the words we use.
The Internet’s Lexical Legacy
From the early days of the internet, new technologies have demanded new vocabulary to describe the ways we interact with them. Just as the invention of the telephone popularized greetings like “hello” and “hi,” the digital age has spawned a lexicon all its own. Among the most enduring additions are nouns that blend existing words to capture novel concepts, such as:
- “Podcast”: A portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcast”
- “Selfie”: A self-portrait typically taken with a smartphone
- “Bromance”: A close, platonic friendship between two men
- “Hashtag”: A word or phrase preceded by a hash symbol (#) to identify messages on a specific topic
These terms have proven more enduring than words describing passing social trends, like “chav” or “squeezed middle,” which now feel dated by comparison. The staying power of internet-born vocabulary is a testament to the central role digital communication plays in modern life.
A Mirror of the Times
While some critics dismiss the Word of the Year as little more than a PR stunt, there’s no denying that the winning words offer a revealing snapshot of the dominant preoccupations and anxieties of a given moment. Recent victors have reflected the turbulent global events that have defined the 2020s:
- 2020 – Words of an Unprecedented Year: A report rather than a single word to capture the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic
- 2021 – “Vax”: Shorthand for “vaccine” and “vaccination” as the world undertook mass inoculation efforts
- 2022 – “Goblin mode”: Defined as “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy behavior”
Though informal, even slang, terms have often sparked innovation in language, there have been occasional grumblings that selections like “goblin mode” represent lexicographers donning “a backwards baseball cap and skateboarding across the news.” However, the OUP’s choice, decided by public vote, reflects a broader truth – the internet is now the primary engine of lexical change.
Contenders of the Future
As for 2024, the shortlist offers a glimpse into the new frontiers of digital disquiet. Candidates like “slop” (meaning AI-generated content) and “brain rot” (a condition caused by consuming too much “slop” and other online ephemera) point to growing concerns over the cognitive impact of life spent increasingly online.
At the same time, the inclusion of repurposed and revived words, such as “demure” and “romantasy” (a blend of romance and fantasy fiction) demonstrates how platforms like TikTok and niche internet communities can pluck obscurities from the past and breathe new life into them.
While England endeavors to cure the potato‑rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?
– Henry David Thoreau, 1845
In an interesting twist, this year’s inclusion of “brain rot” echoes Thoreau’s 19th century warning of a malaise more deadly than botanical blights. It suggests that while the technologies through which we communicate may change, the fundamental concern that they may also be sources of corrosion remains evergreen. Even as we evolve and expand our linguistic repertoire, we are still grappling with age-old existential questions. Perhaps that’s the enduring appeal of Oxford’s word of the year – in capturing the flux of language, it reminds us of old truths in new packages.
What word will define 2024? “Enshittification,” as Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary has provocatively suggested? Or something as yet unthought of? The only certainty is that in an age of ceaseless reinvention and digital connection, the Word of the Year will continue to provide a thought-provoking capsule of how internet-inflected language both reflects and shapes our evolving understanding of an ever-changing world.
