by Amanda Double15 January
2024 Words of the Year
“Words, words, words,” as Shakespeare’s stressed-out Hamlet muttered once in response to annoying questioning. But it is words that allow us to communicate most effectively. They can be lyrical and beautifully descriptive, they can be straightforward and to the point or gently revelatory, or they can obfuscate and hide what we really think. Sometimes words expressing exactly what we mean or want to describe don’t seem to even exist. In these cases, we can try borrowing from another language. Or alternatively, we can make up a new word or expression to represent it, or adapt an existing one to add a new meaning. And if these new words or expressions are pounced upon and repeated by enough people (these days especially online), they may be collected by dictionaries to record for prosperity.
