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It’s time to flex the lex: Demystifying new words and top searches in a Covid-19 affected world
As a result of Covid-19, many new words have become part of the common lexicon. At first, the searches brought results for the medical terminology, such as PPE Kits, but as the lockdowns kept getting extended, the searches showed results for the social outcome of the Coronavirus.
This year has been a roller-coaster ride, bringing with it drastic overhauls and dynamic shifts in not just economies and trade, but in language as well. As a result of Covid-19, many new words have become part of the common lexicon. A quick scan through web searches throws up quite a mixed bag of searches in India. At first, the searches brought results for the medical terminology, such as PPE Kits, but as the lockdowns kept getting extended, the searches showed results for the social outcome of the Coronavirus. Searches also show that the most trending words change if there’s a national event, government announcement or celebrity news. Most of this terminology is added to dictionaries including Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and Merriam-Webster in real time and monthly data is released.
Here are some words that people searched for the most, since the beginning of 2020:
Social Distancing: Remember the assembly meets in school where one-arm-distance was mandatory? It is that, but the negligence of which would have far grave consequences. Tan-Doori, Soshal Distan-Singh, joke all you want, but do not flout the rules.
Global Pandemic: A worldwide spread of a new disease, affecting more people than estimated. Did someone say Tik-Tok?
Flatten the Curve: Implementing measures to delay the spread of the infection and lower the number of new cases per day, flattening the curve also helps buy time to treat more patients effectively.
Lockdown: We have heard enough of this word to not know what it means.
X Æ A-12: The name of Elon Musk and his partner, Grimes’ son, there are several theories surrounding it, none of which have to do anything with PAN or Aadhaar numbers.
Infodemic: An information overload in times of a pandemic, this portmanteau thrives on messaging apps and chat groups, often leading to unverified news generation and opinion formation.
WFH: Work From Home. An alternative to going to work, it is a situation where you can wear a formal shirt with shorts because no one would bother checking over an official video call.
Quarantine and Chill: A spin on a pop-culture reference, it means to be comfortable at home while following all rules of social distancing. Do we hear sobs?
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