Web desk: Thousands of new words and phrases have been added to the Cambridge Dictionary this year, many of them shaped by internet culture and online trends.
More than 6,000 entries have been included, ranging from social media slang to terms linked with technology and remote work.
Among the most talked-about is “skibidi”, a nonsense word popularised through a viral animated YouTube series.
The dictionary explains it can be used with different meanings, such as “cool” or “bad”, or sometimes with no real meaning at all, often just as a joke. An example given is: “What the skibidi are you doing?”
Another addition is “tradwife”, a shortened form of “traditional wife”, describing women who take on homemaking roles such as cooking and cleaning, while also sharing that lifestyle on social media.
Internet-inspired slang has made its mark, too. The playful word “delulu”, derived from “delusional”, has been included, meaning someone choosing to believe things that are not true or real.
Changes in work life since the pandemic are also reflected in new entries. One example is “mouse jiggler,” a gadget or piece of software that makes it look as if you are working on your computer when you are not.
The dictionary has also welcomed some creative blends of words. “Broligarchy”, formed from “bro” and “oligarchy. It refers to a powerful group of wealthy men. It is often from the tech world, who hold or seek political influence.
The term was once used to describe Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg attending Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Lexical programme manager Colin McIntosh said the rise of internet culture is reshaping English in fascinating ways, and that capturing these changes in the dictionary shows how language keeps evolving.
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