From woke to zyzzyva - the new words added to the OED
'hygge' and 'post-truth' make it into this year's dictionary update - and 'thing' is now a thing
Both politically and culturally, 2016 was a turbulent year and the Oxford English Dictionary has recognised this in its latest update, with "woke" and "post-truth" now included.
The original meaning of woke is to awaken after sleep but the word now has a political meaning after being taken up by the Black Lives Matter movement.
"By the mid-20th century," says the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), "woke had been extended figuratively to refer to being 'aware' or 'well informed' in a political or cultural sense."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Post-truth" has been chosen as the OED's word of 2016 - to reflect a year that included political shocks such as the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union and the US election of President Donald Trump.
It is defined as "relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping political debate or public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief".
There is also a new word right at the end of the dictionary, Zyzzyva - the name of a genus of tropical weevils native to South America and typically found near palm trees.
"No one knows where zyzzyva came from," said Fiona McPherson, the OED's new words editor.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
"There are some sources saying it makes a reference to the noises made by the weevil."
More than 600 new words, phrases, and senses have been added this time around, with other highlights including Danish way of life "hygge" and a number of tennis terms in time for Wimbledon including "bagel", "changeover" and "career slam".
Fans of television series The West Wing may be pleased to hear that "thing" is now a thing.
"A new usage of 'thing' refers to questions conveying surprise or incredulity, such as: 'How can that be a thing?'" Oxford University Press said.
It was traced back to an early episode of Aaron Sorkin's show.
-
Trump wants to exert control over federal architectureThe Explainer Beyond his ballroom, Trump has several other architectural plans in mind
-
6 well-crafted log homesFeature Featuring a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace in Montana and a Tulikivi stove in New York
-
‘The nonviolence resulted from the organizers’ message’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The UK-made Storm Shadow missiles Ukraine is using in RussiaThe Explainer Ukraine reportedly deployed the long-range British missiles this week, following a tense meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
What is Donald Trump planning in Latin America?Today’s Big Question US ramps up feud with Colombia over drug trade, while deploying military in the Caribbean to attack ships and increase tensions with Venezuela
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
Remaking the military: Pete Hegseth’s war on diversity and ‘fat generals’Talking Point The US Secretary of War addressed military members on ‘warrior ethos’
-
How does the Nobel Peace Prize work?The Explainer Activist María Corina Machado wins prestigious prize, despite public campaign by Donald Trump
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange