![]() “A live-action role-playing game in which a group of people enacts a fictional scenario (such as a fantasy adventure) in real time typically under the guidance of a facilitator or organizer.” 13. “Of very poor quality: junky also: not functioning properly or adequately: faulty.” 12. ICYMIĪbbreviation for “in case you missed it.” 11. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is.” 10. “The act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. “A holiday observed on February 13th as a time to celebrate friendships especially among women.” 9. FWIWĪbbreviation for “for what it’s worth.” 8. “The singing of wild birds that closely precedes and follows sunrise especially in spring and summer.” 7. as to cause one to cringe: cringeworthy.” 6. “A usually spicy sandwich in Vietnamese cuisine consisting of a split baguette filled typically with meat (such as pork or chicken) and pickled vegetables (such as carrot and daikon) and garnished with cilantro and often cucumbers.” 5. ![]() “Excellent, exciting, or extraordinary, especially in a way that is suggestive of a lavish lifestyle.” 4. “Any of various cryptocurrencies that are regarded as alternatives to established cryptocurrencies and especially to Bitcoin.” 3. “Socially awkward or quirky in a way that is endearing.” 2. Read on for a highlight reel of the new entries-and also so you can finally learn what yeet means. This year, Merriam-Webster is formally acknowledging that cringe can be an adjective, and that there’s a difference between calling someone’s outfit a look and a lewk. It’s always especially fun to see which slang terms made the cut. ![]() Gastronomic trends can be tracked through terms like omakase, banh mi, and-just in time for autumn- pumpkin spice. The addition of altcoin is a nod to the rising influence of cryptocurrency and anybody who has noticed the increasingly paltry contents of cereal boxes, Doritos bags, and more will no doubt agree that shrinkflation deserves its newly acquired spot in the dictionary. ![]() As was the case in 2021, a number of pandemic-related phrases were included in this year’s update-from booster dose to emergency use authorization. The latest batch of additions is similarly entertaining, comprising 370 new words and definitions from all spheres of life. Last year, dad bod, chicharron, and oobleck joined the ranks. EGOT, stan, and bottle episode all earned that honor back in 2019. And that means that if enough people use a certain term in the same way for long enough, it will eventually get an entry of its own. “And people define words, as the last man who tried to define them all himself knew - in the process trying also to define and distinguish his developing nation.Like all good descriptivist dictionaries, Merriam-Webster seeks to catalog how language is being used rather than dictate how it should be used. Words define languages, Janes says, and in turn languages help to define cultures and societies. “But he didn’t get away with ‘tung,’ ‘ake’ or dropping the final ‘e’ from words like ‘doctrine.'” “He had more luck there than most we have him to thank for Americanized spellings of ‘favor,’ and ‘theater’ and ‘defense'” as well as the word “Americanize” itself,” Janes says. Webster was also enthusiastic about spelling reform, Janes notes. Janes said, “This dictionary was the first serious articulation of American English as it was growing increasingly distinct from the British variety.”Īnd that was clearly Webster’s intention, as stated in the dictionary’s preface: “Language is the expression of ideas and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language.” Though the first English dictionary dates back to 1604, it was Webster and his 1828 volume that was credited with capturing the language of the new nation. Webster, who lived from 1758 to 1843, was at times a failed farmer, an uninspired teacher, a state representative, a co-founder of Amherst College, a copyright advocate and a friend of George Washington once dubbed by biographer as a “forgotten founding father.” He was also a Federalist and dedicated revolutionary who deeply loved his country. All the podcasts are available online through the iSchool website, and on iTunes, where the series has more than 250,000 downloads. In the podcasts, Janes, an associate professor in the UW Information School, explores the origin and often evolving meaning of historical documents, both famous and less known.
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