ABSTRACT
Words are the most observable part of any language, and people are generally fascinated by curious facts having to do with the ins and outs of the lexicon (or the vocabulary) of their language. ere are websites devoted to the “most irritating words”, “favourite words”, “dead words”, “new words”, “peculiar words” and “ clichés” – and many other topics, all revealing people’s interest in vocabulary. ere is always considerable media attention when dictionaries announce their word of the year. Articles ourish on the meaning of the winner, its origin, and even its worthiness of the award. ere is nowhere near the same excitement with other aspects of the language; there were no breaking news stories when linguists announced developments aecting the conjunction because (e.g. I’ve been missing out on sleep because the “Breaking Bad” series or I missed the ending because I fell asleep). Dictionary editors are almost the new celebrities, answering questions like: What is the longest word in the language? Is there a word to describe someone who drinks their own bathwater? How many words do speakers know? And perhaps the thorniest question of all – when does a new expression enter the dictionary?
