What is the Word of the Year Selected by the Oxford English Dictionary? 'Vax (Vaccination)'

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[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in the UK has selected "vax," meaning "vaccine" or "vaccination," as the Word of the Year, BBC and other media reported on the 1st (local time).

Vax was first registered as an English word in 1799, and in 1800 it began to be used as a derivative meaning "to vaccinate" and "vaccination." Its etymology comes from the Latin word "vacca," meaning cow, which originated from British physician Edward Jenner's development of the smallpox vaccine based on cowpox.

Vax became a popular word as vaccination became a hot topic during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its usage frequency has recently surged. An OED official said, "The use of words related to vaccines increased all at once, but less than vax," adding, "This word is concise, powerful, and attention-grabbing."

The OED did not select a Word of the Year last year due to the impact of COVID-19, while the UK Collins Dictionary chose "lockdown," meaning a lockdown, as its Word of the Year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.