The Word of the Year Selected by Collins Dictionary in the UK is 'Permanent Crisis'

‘Sports Laundry’, ‘Party Gate’, ‘Kiwu’ Included as Candidates for Word of the Year
‘NFT’ Selected as Word of the Year in 2021, ‘Lockdown’ in 2020

The British Collins Dictionary has selected the compound word "permacrisis" (permanent crisis) as the word of the year. Photo by Collins Dictionary website capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Due to the Ukraine war, the resurgence of COVID-19, inflation, and disasters caused by abnormal climate, countries around the world are experiencing a more eventful year than ever before.

Reflecting this situation, the British Collins Dictionary selected the coined word 'permacrisis' as the Word of the Year. The Word of the Year chosen by Collins Dictionary is selected by comprehensively analyzing about 18 billion words registered in the Collins Corpus database and words commonly used online.

On the 1st (local time), AFP and others reported that this word, a compound of 'permanent' and 'crisis,' was chosen as the Word of the Year, beating words like 'Kyiv,' 'sports washing,' and 'Partygate.' Collins Dictionary defines this word as "a situation where instability and anxiety persist."

AFP explained that the selection of this word reflects the turmoil faced by the UK following Brexit from the European Union (EU), the COVID-19 pandemic, severe climate change, the Ukraine war, political upheaval, and high inflation.

Alex Bickroft, director of Collins Learning, pointed out, "This word 'permacrisis' clearly shows many people how terrible this year has been at a glance."

First appearing as an academic term in the 1970s, Collins explained that this word has suddenly become popular in recent months.

Helen Newstead, a language advisor for Collins Dictionary, said in an interview with the American daily The Washington Post (WP), "It is clear that the word crisis dominated people's conversations this year," adding, "Permacrisis implies that one crisis immediately transitions into another."

Among the total of 10 words selected as Words of the Year, the word competing with permacrisis was 'Kyiv.' Kyiv is the name of the capital of Ukraine and is now familiar worldwide, but before the war, it was called Kyiv by the Russian pronunciation 'Kiyev.'

Sports washing refers to immoral regimes hosting major sporting events or acquiring famous sports teams to dilute their country's negative image. Western media often used this word regarding the sports culture promotion policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is suspected of being behind the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Word of the Year list also included 'Partygate.' This refers to the political scandal where former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his colleagues ignored quarantine guidelines and held a birthday party for Johnson at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's residence. This incident eventually led to Johnson's resignation.

'Carolean,' meaning the era of King Charles III of the United Kingdom who succeeded Queen Elizabeth II, was also included in the Word of the Year.

Due to the energy crisis, British people struggling with heating costs have been visiting churches and libraries to escape the cold, leading to the emergence of the term 'warm bank.' Additionally, a new term 'quiet quitting' appeared, referring to MZ generation office workers who do only the tasks assigned to them as a form of protest against employers or to maintain their work-life balance.

Bickroft said, "The newly registered neologisms in our dictionary reflect the current global situation. However, words like Kyiv, which show the firm resolve of Ukrainians, and Carolean, which signifies the UK entering a new era, offer a certain ray of hope."

Collins Dictionary selected 'NFT (non-fungible token)' as the Word of the Year in 2021 and 'lockdown,' referring to the suspension of daily life due to COVID-19 quarantine measures, in 2020.

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