Languages are always evolving, new words are added to dictionaries while others perish. This article tackles some new additions to the English language, words that reflect our current context and how humanity has evolved in the last few years. So get ready to discover a weird, but wonderful lineup of “new generation” words.
Abibliophobia(noun) or the fear of running out of things to read. The irony of this term is that it has been coined in the last 3 or four years, in an era in which the internet provides a limitless resource of reading materials. However, the term might strictly refer to paperbacks, who have recently gained back their popularity. Whether it’s the smell of the books or the sheer act of turning the page, we are grateful this “illness” is a thing.
Babymoon (noun) is a special holiday taken by parents-to-be before their first baby is born. This is actually a wonderful term that has become a reality in the last years. Expectant couples take a last vacation before the arrival of the third member of their family, to enjoy sightseeing, romantic walks or pampering sessions. Travel companies have seen this trend as a great marketing opportunity, creating special packages for the baby-mooners.
Cakeism(noun) -the belief that you can have all the benefits of a particular thing but none of its disadvantages. The word is based on the well-known English phrase „have your cake and eat it”, which describes the situation of having two good things at the same time, when in reality, having one of these things should preclude having the other. This term was used especially in relation to the United Kingdom’s negotiations on leaving the European Union.
Deshopper(noun)-a person who buys something with the specific intention of using it and later returning it to the shop for a full refund. Apparently, the retails industry is greatly affected by deshopping. How to identify a deshopper? Easy task: they brag about their small “victories” and see their action as having defeated the “system”.
To empty chair (verb) – to embarrass a person who refuses to take part in a debate by leaving an empty seat or space which represents them. This practice is mostly used with politicians who decline invitations to TV shows or televised confrontations.
Fast fashion (noun) – cheap clothing produced quickly and sold by large, mass-market retailers in order to respond to the latest fashion trends. What could be negative about a term which describes how the average people can gain access to otherwise unaffordable fashion? During the past few years, concerns were raised about the impact this practice has on the environment as many of the clothing items produced this way have a short life span and contain synthetic materials.
Gamification(noun)- the adaptation of applications, especially learning materials, to make them become like games so that people are more interested in using them. This practice has helped adapt the educational systems to the characteristics and requirements of the new generation of students, making learning fun and effective and it has proved to be a great approach to language teaching and learning. What could be more useful?
If you find yourself intrigued by these new additions to the English language, follow us for more in the weeks to come!
Article by Lavinia Marcu
