Word of the year: Toxic
According to Oxford Dictionary
Oxford Dictionaries says “toxic” is the international word of the year, selecting it from a shortlist that included “gaslighting,” “incel” and “techlash.”
Katherine Connor Martin, the company’s head of U.S. dictionaries, said there had been a lot of interest in the word on its website during the last year. “
“Toxic” comes from the Greek “toxikon pharmakon,” meaning “poison for arrows.” In a strange twist, the part of the phrase meaning “arrows” not “poison” became the basis for the word “toxic.” The oldest known use of the word is 1664, in a book about forests. It wasn’t until 1913, that the dictionary included a definition that didn’t include “literal poisons.”
Although “toxic” is an old word– “incel” short for “involuntarily celebate” is a brand new jargon word that suddenly become widespread.
Oxford’s word of the year is supposed to highlight “the ethos, mood or preoccupations” of a particular year, and show, as well, that the English language is always changing. Last year’s winner, was “youthquake.” In 2016, it was “post-truth.”
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