Opinion From ‘rizz’ to ‘goblin mode’ — understanding society through language

You may ask, what is language? “Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary.” It is the primary means through which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and written forms. This may also be conveyed through sign language.

Let us get back to the Oxford list for word of the year. This year, the other finalists were “prompt”, the instruction given to an artificial intelligence programme that influences the content it creates; “situationship” which is a romantic partnership that is not considered to be formal or established; and “Swiftie”, the name given to an avid fan of the singer Taylor Swift. Perhaps after being cloistered and tucked away as a species through the pandemic, many humans are now considering whether they can attract a partner once they are back in the world outside.

In 2022, Oxford’s word of the year was “goblin mode”, a colloquial term that means being “unapologetically lazy in a way that rejects social norms”. The process of selection for the word of the year is a fascinating one. Each year, the Oxford University Press (OUP), which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary, has a long list of 30-40 words. This list is then pruned down to three words. For the first time, last year, Oxford allowed people from across the world to vote from a final list of three words. The voters picked “goblin mode”. It is used as “in goblin mode” or “to go goblin mode”. In 2021, the word was “vax” which highlighted the medical breakthroughs represented by the vaccines that could liberate our species from the pandemic.

Clearly, the choice of the word of the year tells us something about what ails or excites the human species that year.

It makes some sense that we should, in 2021, have “vax” on our mind as the deployment of vaccines promised to liberate us from social isolation and the destruction of Covid-19. In 2022, as many emerged from the isolation of the pandemic and being cut off from regular social interaction with other members of the human species, some were in “goblin mode” and would take time to rejoin the demands of a highly social and frantically productive human species. It would take a while for many to discard pyjamas and track pants, the daily fashion wear of the pandemic era and go back into the formal workspace.

You may ask, how is the word of the year selected? Is there a short list or long list? As Chitra Ramaswamy explains in The Guardian, the Oxford English Dictionary has a 15-member team of word researchers “who spend their days analysing databases and tracking collections of words called ‘corpuses’” to see what new words become popular. Ramaswamy writes that while the group also judges reader submissions for inclusion, most of their time is spent studying massive electronic text databases for words that pop up more and more in common use.

This got me thinking about the researchers who spend their time tracking words. Who are these word researchers? Is this even an occupation? Molly Pennington writes in the Reader’s Digest that “lexicographers” get to decide which words make it into the dictionary and they do so by reading widely across industries and disciplines. Lexicographer Kory Stamper calls the dictionary “a human document, constantly getting compiled. Proofread, and updated by
actual, living, awkward people.”

Not only is there a search for the word of the year, but there is also the quest for new words. Various reputed dictionaries, with their teams of diligent lexicographers, hunt for new words to be added. For instance, in April this year, Merriam-Webster added new words pertaining to the time that was the Covid pandemic. New additions included words like “self-isolate”, “contactless”, “forehead thermometer” as well as abbreviations like WFH (work from home) and PPE (personal protective equipment).

Different dictionaries have varied words of the years reflecting the preferences of either general voters or specialised lexicographers. The method of choosing the word of the year depends on the process the publisher has identified. For instance, the Dictionary.com word of the year in 2022 was “woman”. Merriam Webster’s word of the year 2022 after an online poll was “gaslighting” and in 2023 was “authentic”. Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year in 2023 is “hallucinate”.

The word “rizz” gained currency when it was used by the star of the latest Spiderman movies, Tom Holland, who was asked about the “secret to his rizz”. Holland famously replied, “I have no rizz whatsoever”, leading to another Hollywood star, George Clooney, saying that “those who say they have no rizz are the ones who have it”. On that note, dear reader, I wish you much “rizz” and leave you with a thought: What was your word of the year for 2023, a word that defines the year for you or was at the top of your mind?

The writer is a Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court