language – News Stories About language - Page 1

After Trump Says 'Vermin,' Now Ramaswamy

Ramaswamy
Says Who
He Thinks
Are 'Vermin'

Nov 17, 2023 12:33 PM CST

Ramaswamy Says Who He Thinks Are 'Vermin'

GOP presidential candidate echoes Trump, uses word to apply to San Francisco's homeless people

(Newser) - Former President Trump's use of the word "vermin" last weekend to describe his political enemies raised a red flag , with critics calling it "straight-up Nazi talk" and a Trump rep responding by calling those critics "snowflakes." Now, another GOP presidential candidate is getting in on...

This Is Collins Dictionary's
Word of the Year

Nov 1, 2023 11:25 AM CDT

This Is Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year

'AI,' or, you know, 'artificial intelligence,' 'has been much talked about in 2023,' per UK publisher

(Newser) - The "best of 2023" lists are starting to be compiled, and Collins Dictionary lexicographers have already announced their pick for word of the year. It's "AI," the initialism for "artificial intelligence," reports CNN , which notes the term means "the modeling of human mental...

The Internet
Has a New
Term:
IJBOL

Aug 13, 2023 7:59 AM CDT

The Internet Has a New Term: IJBOL

But writing about it might doom it

(Newser) - Think of it as the great-grandson of LOL, after ROFL and LMAO. The term is IJBOL, which stands for "I just burst out laughing." Last month, Mashable christened it the "summer's ironic term" and now the New York Times is catching up with the trend. The...

'Unalive' Gains Use Among
Young People Online

Jul 15, 2023 9:00 AM CDT

'Unalive' Gains Use Among Young People Online

It can refer to homicide or suicide, and language experts say it's not a cause for alarm

(Newser) - A new phrase on a dark subject is in circulation among young people online, particularly on TikTok, per the AP . "Unalive" refers to death by suicide or homicide. It can function as adjective or verb and joins similar phrasing—like "mascara," to mean sexual assault—coined by...

Emerging Dialect in US: Call It Miami English

Call It Miami English:
'Get Down From the Car'

new study

Jun 17, 2023 11:30 AM CDT

Call It Miami English: 'Get Down From the Car'

Linguists detect new American dialect in South Florida, thanks to Spanish-English blending

(Newser) - Americans all over the country might tell someone to "get out of the car." In South Florida, you might hear a slightly different version: "Get down from the car." Linguists say it's a not-random bit of slang—it's evidence of an emerging American dialect...

First Words Revealed in
African American Dictionary

May 23, 2023 10:40 AM CDT

First Words Revealed in African American Dictionary

Entries include 'bussin' and 'grill'

(Newser) - A new dictionary is in the works, one that focuses solely on words with African American origins. The Oxford Dictionary of African American English—a collaboration between Harvard University and Oxford University Press, per NPR —plans to publish its first 1,000 words in 2025. However, the New York ...

Centuries-Old Dialect Unique to US Is Dying Out

Centuries-Old Dialect Unique
to America Is Dying Out

Apr 16, 2023 11:10 AM CDT

Centuries-Old Dialect Unique to America Is Dying Out

'New York Times' explains the long history of New Mexico Spanish

(Newser) - Somewhere around 400 years ago, a distinct language dialect emerged among the settlers of what is now northern Mexico. This "New Mexico Spanish," as it is now known, exists to this day—and nowhere else on earth, writes Simon Romero in the New York Times . The dialect remained...

Italy's PM Backs
$109K Fines for
Using English

Apr 5, 2023 12:58 PM CDT

Italy's PM Backs $109K Fines for Using English

Proposed law backed by Brothers of Italy party aims to fight 'Anglomania'

(Newser) - "Saying 'bru-shetta' instead of 'bru-sketta' could be a punishable offense" in Italy, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has thrown her support behind legislation that would forbid use of a language other than Italian in public administration offices and schools, as well as establish a committee to rule...

Roald Dahl's
Books Stripped of
Words Like Fat, Ugly

Feb 20, 2023 2:30 AM CST

Roald Dahl's Books Stripped of Words Like Fat, Ugly

Inclusivity is the aim, though Salman Rushdie decries 'absurd censorship'

(Newser) - Adults who revisit Roald Dahl's fictional worlds will now find them a tad bit changed from decades past. With its new editions, publisher Puffin, a division of Penguin Random House, has rewritten some of Dahl's children's books to remove what it sees as offensive language, reports the...

In the Name of All That Is Holy,
Stop Saying These Words

In the Name of All That Is Holy, Stop Saying These Words

Lake Superior State University has released its annual 'Banished Words' list

(Newser) - It feels like we were just graced with "quiet quitting," yet now they're yanking it away. That's one of the entries on Lake Superior State University's annual "Banished Words" list, a compilation of the words and phrases that irk the judges as being "...

There's a New Code Word
for 'Black'

OPINION

Sep 27, 2022 2:02 PM CDT

There's a New Code Word for 'Black'

'Woke' is the newest entry, writes Damon Young in the 'Washington Post'

(Newser) - In an essay at the Washington Post , Damon Young recounts the many, many examples of "coded language" and euphemisms that have emerged over the years to refer to Black people like himself. Think "urban," inner city," "marginalized," and on and on. A newer entry...

Newly Coined Word Speaks
Volumes About Ukraine

analysis

Apr 23, 2022 10:45 AM CDT

Newly Coined Word Speaks Volumes About Ukraine

Yale professor explains 'ruscism'

(Newser) - As he was reading about Russia's invasion in Ukrainian-language sources, Yale history professor Timothy Snyder kept coming across a new word over and over. The closest he can come to an English translation of the Cyrillic word is "ruscism," he writes in a piece at the New ...

Words Amazon Workers
May Not Be Able to Say in App

Apr 5, 2022 1:46 PM CDT

Words Amazon Workers May Not Be Able to Say in App

Including 'union' and 'restroom,' per the Intercept

(Newser) - The Intercept reports that Amazon is working on a chat app designed to be used by its employees with the goal of boosting morale. That in itself is pretty humdrum stuff. But the reason the story is generating attention is because the Intercept also says Amazon plans to make some...

Ukrainians Want You
to Use 'Kyiv,' Not 'Kiev'

Feb 27, 2022 3:45 PM CST

Ukrainians Want You to Use 'Kyiv,' Not 'Kiev'

The capital's name had previously been Russified, leading to spelling and pronunciation confusion

(Newser) - As Ukrainians continue to resist the invasion of their country by Russian forces, the nation's capital keeps coming up in conversations in an entirely different way, involving language, pronunciation, and a long, "touchy" history between the two neighbors. Quartz notes the Kyiv conundrum—or is it the Kiev...

This Reporter's News Coverage
Prompted Marriage Proposals

VIDEO

Feb 22, 2022 11:06 AM CST

This Reporter's News Coverage Prompted Marriage Proposals

Philip Crowther's 6-language fluency while reporting on Russia-Ukraine crisis impressed many

(Newser) - You'd think a person would be tripping over their words with six different languages bouncing around in their head. Not so for journalist Philip Crowther, who showed the world Monday just how eloquent he could be while covering the Russia-Ukraine crisis in English, Luxembourgish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German....

Cruz Slams Library of Congress'
New Term for 'Illegal Aliens'

Nov 19, 2021 6:43 AM CST

Cruz Slams Library of Congress' New Term for 'Illegal Aliens'

Texas senator blasts LOC for 'politically motivated' swap of term for 'noncitizens'

(Newser) - Ted Cruz has no problem with the term "illegal alien," and he's miffed that the Library of Congress is moving away from it. Per the Hill , the GOP senator from Texas, along with Republican Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, penned a nearly five-page-long letter Wednesday to the...

Oxford's Word of the Year
Is an 'Attention-Grabbing' One

Nov 1, 2021 10:05 AM CDT

Oxford's Word of the Year Is an 'Attention-Grabbing' One

'No word better captures the atmosphere of the past year than vax'

(Newser) - If you never want to hear anything about the pandemic ever again, there's one word you'll have to endure for at least another 15 minutes as it enjoys another moment in the sun. Oxford Languages has deemed "vax" its word of the year, with senior editor Fiona...

Britain Is Having a 'Pingdemic'

the rundown

Jul 22, 2021 9:56 AM CDT

Britain Is Having a 'Pingdemic'

British app pings to let people know they've been in close contact with infected person

(Newser) - The Germans have " mindestabstandsregelung ." Now the Brits have a new word of their own born of the coronavirus: "pingdemic." The details:

The word: Pingdemic refers to the constant pinging of smartphones currently taking place across the country in regard to COVID, reports the BBC . A contact-tracing

...

Please Say 'Person of Color'
Here, Not 'Blue Person'

Jul 14, 2021 12:44 PM CDT

Please Say 'Person of Color' Here, Not 'Blue Person'

Previous terms in Ireland to describe people who aren't white were confusing, offensive

(Newser) - Up until now, Ireland has struggled with how to describe people who aren't white. Now, the panel that votes on adding new words and terms to the nation's official lexicon have come up with a descriptor: duine de dhath, or "person of color." That may seem...

The Term 'Cheugy'
Is Having a Moment

The Term 'Cheugy' Is Having a Moment

Generally, it refers to a trend that's somewhat out of date

(Newser) - Do you use cheesy hashtags on your social media posts? Are you an adult Disney fan? You just might be "cheugy," a term that's gone viral on TikTok and is slowly seeping its way into Gen Z vernacular—often as a jab against members of older generations....