“Manifesting freedom from brain rot’ and other attempts to encase our aspirations in words”
FOR several years now, at yearend, the more prominent dictionaries have announced their respective Words of the Year, based on the highest number of searches, or lookups. It’s interesting to look into these words because they might reflect a particular era, or indicate what today’s readers are more interested in learning about, or what today’s young people are using. The individual web sites of Oxford, Cambridge, and Merriam-Webster each give details on their words of the year; some even come with accounts of how the meaning of the words have evolved over time. They also list the runners-up – those words which almost became word of the year, but somehow fell short.
For Cambridge Dictionary, which bestows the honor to the word that had a marked increase in lookups, with a widened use across all types of media, and whose meaning had changed over time, the Word of the Year is manifest. “Manifest,” — a “fairly formal 600-year-old word that means ‘to show something clearly,’” was looked up almost 130,000 times in the Cambridge Dictionary site.
The more recent use of “manifest,” of course, is to use specific practices to focus one’s mind on something one wants, to try to make it a reality. Don’t we hear of statements like someone having a “manifest board” containing dreams, or “manifesting” something as in, being in a state of mind where one has already achieved that which is desired? A rise in “manifesting influencers” was also observed even as their practice is scientifically unproven.
For its part, Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year is “polarization.” MW defines it as a “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.” But the current understanding “happens to be one idea that both sides of the political spectrum agree on,” according to MW. Search volume on the site throughout the year “reflected the desire of Americans to better understand the complex state of affairs in [their] country and around the world.” The word was widely used across the media landscape, it said, especially with the US presidential elections in November.
Other words that were in the running for Merriam-Webster were “totality,” “demure,” and “fortnight.” The latter two were in reference to pop culture, specifically a viral meme and a popular singer-songwriter.
Finally, Oxford Dictionary picked “brain rot” for its Word of the Year because it garnered over 37,000 votes, and figured significantly in worldwide public discussion and an analysis of language data. The term increased in usage frequency by 230 percent between 2023 and 2024.
“Our experts noticed that ‘brain rot’ gained new prominence this year as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media,” Oxford said.
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But as much as it is interesting to follow the words of the year as decided by top dictionaries, it’s also a good start-of-the-year exercise to note our words of the year, both as they pertain to the life of our nation and to our personal journeys.
For instance, some of the more popular words that made their way into our consciousness last year were “confidential” which usually means something not known or which is known only to a few, for good reason. In the context of current events, however, the word has been associated with “funds” such that even when “confidential funds” do exist for valid reasons – national security, for instance – now it is seen as an attempt to secure funds for a government office without any intention to be transparent and accountable about how it is spent. What makes it more reprehensible is its use, not for national security purposes, but to portray certain officials as benevolent to people who are always grateful for financial help.
Another word that often came to mind last year was resilience, given the string of typhoons that battered different parts of the Philippines. This word has had bad press in recent years, because it is easily mistaken for fatalism among a people that set such low standards for their leaders and could be twisted to mean they should passively accept circumstances and their consequences. But it is always good to qualify our understanding of the word, to constantly improve our ability to deal with adversity, and to anticipate where potential risks or problems may arise.
More next week.
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