language

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Newly Coined Word Says Volumes About Ukraine
Newly Coined Word Speaks
Volumes About Ukraine
analysis
Apr 23, 2022 10:45 AM CDT

Newly Coined Word Speaks Volumes About Ukraine

Yale professor explains 'ruscism'

(Newser) - As he was reading about Russia's invasion in Ukrainian-language sources, Yale history professor Timothy Snyder kept coming across a new word over and over. The closest he can come to an English translation of the Cyrillic word is "ruscism," he writes in a piece at the New ...

Words Amazon Workers May Not Be Able to Say in App

Including 'union' and 'restroom,' per the Intercept

(Newser) - The Intercept reports that Amazon is working on a chat app designed to be used by its employees with the goal of boosting morale. That in itself is pretty humdrum stuff. But the reason the story is generating attention is because the Intercept also says Amazon plans to make some...

Ukrainians Want You to Use 'Kyiv,' Not 'Kiev'

The capital's name had previously been Russified, leading to spelling and pronunciation confusion

(Newser) - As Ukrainians continue to resist the invasion of their country by Russian forces, the nation's capital keeps coming up in conversations in an entirely different way, involving language, pronunciation, and a long, "touchy" history between the two neighbors. Quartz notes the Kyiv conundrum—or is it the Kiev...

This Reporter's News Coverage Prompted Marriage Proposals

Philip Crowther's 6-language fluency while reporting on Russia-Ukraine crisis impressed many

(Newser) - You'd think a person would be tripping over their words with six different languages bouncing around in their head. Not so for journalist Philip Crowther, who showed the world Monday just how eloquent he could be while covering the Russia-Ukraine crisis in English, Luxembourgish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German....

Cruz Slams Library of Congress' New Term for 'Illegal Aliens'

Texas senator blasts LOC for 'politically motivated' swap of term for 'noncitizens'

(Newser) - Ted Cruz has no problem with the term "illegal alien," and he's miffed that the Library of Congress is moving away from it. Per the Hill , the GOP senator from Texas, along with Republican Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, penned a nearly five-page-long letter Wednesday to the...

Oxford's Word of the Year Is an 'Attention-Grabbing' One

'No word better captures the atmosphere of the past year than vax'

(Newser) - If you never want to hear anything about the pandemic ever again, there's one word you'll have to endure for at least another 15 minutes as it enjoys another moment in the sun. Oxford Languages has deemed "vax" its word of the year, with senior editor Fiona...

World&#39;s New COVID Term: &#39;Pingdemic&#39;
Britain Is Having a 'Pingdemic'
the rundown
Jul 22, 2021 9:56 AM CDT

Britain Is Having a 'Pingdemic'

British app pings to let people know they've been in close contact with infected person

(Newser) - The Germans have " mindestabstandsregelung ." Now the Brits have a new word of their own born of the coronavirus: "pingdemic." The details:
  • The word: Pingdemic refers to the constant pinging of smartphones currently taking place across the country in regard to COVID, reports the BBC . A contact-tracing
...

Please Say 'Person of Color' Here, Not 'Blue Person'

Previous terms in Ireland to describe people who aren't white were confusing, offensive

(Newser) - Up until now, Ireland has struggled with how to describe people who aren't white. Now, the panel that votes on adding new words and terms to the nation's official lexicon have come up with a descriptor: duine de dhath, or "person of color." That may seem...

The Term &#39;Cheugy&#39; Is Having a Moment
The Term 'Cheugy' 
Is Having a Moment
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
May 15, 2021 7:00 AM CDT

The Term 'Cheugy' Is Having a Moment

Generally, it refers to a trend that's somewhat out of date

(Newser) - Do you use cheesy hashtags on your social media posts? Are you an adult Disney fan? You just might be "cheugy," a term that's gone viral on TikTok and is slowly seeping its way into Gen Z vernacular—often as a jab against members of older generations....

Dictionary.com's New Words Offer Nod to The Simpsons

Totally cromulent

(Newser) - Dictionary.com appears to have further ruined a 25-year-old joke from The Simpsons with its new batch of words for 2021. A 1996 episode poked fun at fictional Springfield's use of the nonexistent words "cromulent" and "embiggen"—two of 450 new words added to the online...

Mindestabstandsregelung Is a Thing in Germany

Term refers to social distancing, one of 1,200 new COVID words coined in the nation

(Newser) - The pandemic is changing not only our behavior but our language. The Conversation ticks off familiar examples including "quarantini," "covidiot," doomscrolling," and "zoombombing," while the Cleveland Clinic offers help dealing with "maskne," or mask-related acne. The Economist has a guide to...

Inauguration Inspires New Dictionary Entry

Merriam-Webster's volume now includes 'Second Gentleman'

(Newser) - Merriam-Webster is adding more than 500 words and phrases to its dictionary to kick off 2021, including one term inspired by the inauguration. With Doug Emhoff's elevation to the role of "Second Gentleman," the term is "finally common enough to have met our entry criteria,"...

Google CEO&#39;s Apology Doesn&#39;t Cut It: &#39;Gaslighting&#39;
Google CEO's Apology
Doesn't Cut It: 'Gaslighting'
THE RUNDOWN
Dec 10, 2020 8:39 AM CST

Google CEO's Apology Doesn't Cut It: 'Gaslighting'

Dr. Timnit Gebru says she was forced from AI research position after email criticizing company

(Newser) - One of Google's most prominent Black female employees is no longer with Google, and a firestorm has erupted over her departure. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has issued an apology of sorts, insinuating Dr. Timnit Gebru, the former co-leader of Google's AI team, resigned. But Gebru is pushing back,...

7 Terms You Didn&#39;t Know in January
7 Terms
You Didn't
Know in
January
Oct 28, 2020 7:19 PM CDT

7 Terms You Didn't Know in January

The coronavirus pandemic is adding to, and altering, our vocabulary

(Newser) - Pre-pandemic seems so "lifetime ago." Our health strategies, economy, social lives—they're all transformed. Now Fast Company and the Orange County Register look at another aspect: our changing language. The coronavirus has spawned new phrases (like "quarantini") and added new meaning to ones already lying...

Trump on Language Change In SEALs Ethos: 'Ridiculous'

President claims he's going to overturn alterations that get rid of words like 'brotherhood'

(Newser) - Although no women have yet qualified to become Navy SEALs, the elite US combat unit recently changed the language in its official guiding beliefs in anticipation that female service members may one day join its ranks. As reported earlier this week by American Military News , the ethos and creeds of...

Twitter's New Red Flag: You Really Want to Tweet That?

Experiment will ask users if they actually want to put up replies with profanity, slurs

(Newser) - If you've ever tweeted something inflammatory at someone and later lamented, "Maybe I shouldn't have written that," Twitter is testing a feature it hopes might prevent that after-the-fact remorse. Per Bloomberg , the social media giant is conducting what it calls a "limited experiment" that issues...

Researchers Listen to Penguins, Hear a First
Researchers Listen
to Penguins, Hear a First
new study
Feb 6, 2020 8:51 AM CST

Researchers Listen to Penguins, Hear a First

Traits such as shorter syllables found for first time outside primates

(Newser) - When it comes to language, penguins and humans appear to have a thing or two in common. Researchers studied the calls of African penguins and found that their vocal patterns follow two distinct patterns that until now have never been seen outside primates, reports the Ecologist . First, the penguins' most...

White Progressives, Enough With &#39;Latinx&#39;
White Progressives,
Enough With 'Latinx'
opinion
Oct 27, 2019 2:10 PM CDT

White Progressives, Enough With 'Latinx'

Giancarlo Sopo says it's actually offensive to many Latinos

(Newser) - "Latinos" and "Hispanics"? OK. "Latinx?" We'll pass. That's pretty much what Giancarlo Sopo argues in USA Today about an increasingly popular progressive term. "What began in the 2000s among activists has now gained currency among marketers, media personalities and progressives," he writes....

'Mayochup' Has an 'Unfortunate Translation'

Who wants some 's---face'?

(Newser) - Those who already think Mayochup isn't a great name for a condiment should hear it through the ears of a Cree. As aboriginal language expert Arok Wolvengrey tells USA Today , "mayo" sounds a lot like "meyiwi," a Cree word meaning "related to feces," while...

Think You've Got a Handle on Foreign Languages? Meet Thaksin

Thaksin sells souvenirs, but Cambodian Red Cross will pay for his education after newfound fame

(Newser) - A young boy who's picked up parts of at least 12 languages and dialects while selling souvenirs to tourists at Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple complex is about to get a change of scenery—and a free education. Thaksin first won hearts around the world in a viral video...

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