Guwahati: Oxford English Dictionary has selected “goblin mode” as the word of the year 2022, based on a public vote for the first time in its history.
The term refers to “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”.
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This slang term spiked earlier this year as the idea of rejecting societal expectations put upon us, in favour of doing whatever one wants to do.
Given a choice of three words (or phrases/hashtags – “word” is defined fairly loosely), narrowed down by lexicographers from Oxford University Press (OUP), more than 340,000 English speakers around the world cast their vote.
“Metaverse” was the second choice, followed by “#IStandWith”. Goblin mode was a landslide victory: it was selected by 318,956 people, making up 93%of the overall vote.
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It’s the first time Oxford Languages opened up its annual word of the year listing to a public vote.
“Metaverse” was the runner-up, with 4 percent. The hashtag “IStandWith” secured third place.
According to the Oxford University Press, Metaverse is a “virtual reality environment in which users can interact with one another’s avatar in an immersive way.” Meanwhile, ‘#IStandWith’ recognises the activism and division that has characterised this year.
“New words catch on when they capture our imagination or fill a hole with a word for a concept we need to express. What ‘goblin mode’ tells me is it resonated with the feeling that the pandemic is over, but we’re still grappling with it. Do we want to go back to the notions of respectability of the pre-pandemic world?” New York Times quoted Katherine Connor Martin, product director at Oxford Languages as saying
Meanwhile, American dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster named “gaslighting” its word of the year for 2022.
According to Merriam-Webster, searches for the word “gaslighting” on its website saw a 1740% increase in 2022 “with high interest throughout the year”.
The official definition for “gaslighting,” according to Merriam-Webster is “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, the uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.”