Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
YOU MAY NEVER have heard the words “youthquake”, “antifa” and “broflake”, but according to Oxford Dictionaries, they are the words that defined the year 2017.
It has announced that “youthquake” is 2017′s word of the year, reflecting on a climate of deepening political unrest.
The term is defined as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”.
The word was first coined in 1965 by Vogue editor Diana Vreeland who used it to describe the post-war period of tumultuous change in fashion, music and attitudes.
It has seen a 400% increase in usage between 2016 and 2017, with Oxford Dictionary saying that it has been used to describe young people driving political change.
Youthquake’s use in Britain first built momentum this year in the wake of the June general election, when young voters almost carried the Labour Party to an unlikely victory.
[image alt="Capture" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2017/12/capture-1070-296x170.jpg" width="296" height="170" credit-source="Oxford%20Dictionary%20" class="alignnone" /end]
Oxford Dictionaries said the word sounded a note of hope following what it described as a “difficult and divisive year”.
“We chose youthquake based on its evidence and linguistic interest. But most importantly for me, at a time when our language is reflecting a deepening unrest and exhausted nerves, it is a rare political word that sounds a hopeful note,” Oxford Dictionaries president Casper Grathwohl said.
Sometimes you pick a word of the year because you recognise that it has arrived, but other times you pick one that is knocking at the door and you want to help usher it in.
“I think it’s time for a word we can all rally behind. A word we can root for and collectively empower as the word of the year,” he said.
Other words shortlisted for Word of the Year 2017 include:
The 2016 Word of the Year was “post-truth”, chosen in light of the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I’m a bit “meh” with these Portmanteaus. Embiggen, now there was a cromulent neologism I could get behind.
@Matt F: TOP OF THE STAIRS ,TURN RIGHT
At least give a link to the page that defines the shortlisted words if you can’t be arsed to actually put in definitions https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year/shortlist-2017
…of the year? funny i didnt come across any of them this year until they announced it .
Unicorn? I thought that was a word already.
I’ve read/heard of 3 of those. Thankfully.
I see the poison has now infiltrated the dictionary…
What on earth is a “milkshake duck”?? Ducks bringing all the boys to their yard?
@Veronica: Seems to be any iconic figure assumed to be perfectly lovable then discredited overnight by exposure.
This month 30 years ago Prince coined a new word called Housequake……. a quake of a different sort.
Saddens me to see that instead of speak honestly and simply say things as they are people decided to go for those stupid extremely irritating buzz invented words .
Makes my skin crawl when the PC vocabulary, the corporatise non speech and other forms of b*llsh*t takes over any type of conversation. Politicians are known for that the art of wasting time and not answer any straight questions
@Celia Ham: # corporative non speech ( dumb phone)
have your say