2015 in words

The Merriam-Webster dictionary company has chosen the word “ism” as its word of the year. It’s actually a suffix, not quite a word, but hey, I’m not going to argue with the dictionary!

Every year yields its share of “it” words that enter our lives and our lexicon. This seems to be the year when non-words emerge as words of the year. Aside from Merriam-Webster choosing a suffix, the Oxford Dictionary has chosen an emoji – the face with tears of joy that texters use (I have to admit that even I use it!) – as its word of the year. The word emoji itself is Japanese – e meaning picture, moji meaning character or letter – while the English equivalent would be emoticon – from emotion and icon.

There are 1,025,109.8 words in the English language (I wonder what that .8 word is), according to the Global Language Monitor, which said the language hit the millionth word mark with “Web 2.0” on June 10, 2009. Now how that was determined is something I will not even attempt to get into, nor will I question or debate its accuracy (linguists are said to take such estimates with a “chunk,” not just a grain, of salt).

Here in our fair shores, we have our own buzzwords, words and phrases that suddenly are on everyone’s lips. Foremost among these are AlDub and its variations and relations, like YayaDub, smashDub, kalyeserye, Maiden (a contraction of the names Maine and Alden) and the AlDub Nation, which is not a republic or a sovereign country but a state of mind.

Then there is foundling, the PC (politically correct, another relatively new term – and concept – we have had to contend with) term for abandoned and/or adopted child. This, of course, refers to presidentiable (another of our coined words) Grace Poe, who is threatened with disqualification because her being a foundling might not grant her natural-born status, thus ineligible to reacquire Filipino citizenship after she took on American citizenship in 2001. Previously, the terms used were “adopted” and “ampon;” foundling refers to “an infant found abandoned; a child without a known parent or guardian,” “discovered and cared for by others.” My colleague’s niece took on a “foundling” kitten, and registered it under the name “Grace Poe-sa.” That’s how extensively foundling has entered our vocabulary and our consciousness.

Election season – or the threat thereof, since it is not yet officially election season – has given us other terms du jour, like substitution, COC, DQ, MR and, of late, sampalan. As next year’s election gets nearer, expect more lurid terms to surface.

But as we enter Christmas week, let’s turn our thoughts to loftier and better  things. Christmas is the best we can be – it is God reaching down to mortal man, offering salvation and hope that we need not be bound by our sins and fettered by our shortcomings. May the hope and love and joy of Christmas fill our hearts and our homes and our nation. Maligayang Pasko!