Communities around the world have ushered in the New Year with great losses and great growth. Is there an event to reflect on in the year 2022. The english dictionary is updated. You read that correctly.
In an effort to acknowledge the diverse communities of LGBTQ people around the world, the Oxford English Dictionary added a total of 18 new words.
The Oxford English Dictionary introduced some new entries in its March 22nd update. Climate change terminology such as "decarbonize" and "critical race theory" were used in these words. "Demisexual" and "gender-affirming" were added to the dictionary.
The rest of the year included the addition of words like "enby" and a shared definition for the words "gender expression" and "gender presentation". The site added more cultural terms like "top" and "bottom" The acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer was among a new group of words. It's better late than never.
Specific English terms related to indigenous perception of gender and sexuality were introduced. Two new entries are "brotherboy" and "Sistergirl", both referring to gender presentation and identity in Australian aboriginal communities.
The words also show the global backlash to the existence of the LGBTQ community. The definition of "gender-critical" and "TERF" have been added to the dictionary.
On top of a wave of updates by online reference site Dictionary.com, the year seemed to receive a lot of academic acknowledgement of ongoing social activism, especially the way in which marginalized communities influence the rest of the world's vocabulary. It's just a thought.
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