WORD OF THE YEAR FOR 2024 AND HYPHENATION
Oxford University Press, the publisher of the renowned dictionary OED, Oxford English Dictionary, recently announced its "word of the year" for 2024. The word is "brain rot," even though it consists of two words. This expression of the year is defined as: (n.) Supposed deterioration of
a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of
overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be
trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to
such deterioration."
This fixed expression or lexical unit is treated as one word. The problem arises with hyphenation: should it be "brain rot" or "brain-rot"? Hyphenation is falling out of favor in modern English, especially in informal or online discourse. Many compounds that once took a hyphen (e-mail, on-line) have lost it over time (email, online). Since brain rot emerged from internet slang, its unhyphenated form likely reflects contemporary usage rather than strict grammatical precision. Oxford, however, tends to follow prevailing usage rather than impose grammatical order. Since brain rot has gained traction in its spaced form, they likely keep it that way for consistency with how people write it.
The prevailing trend is to simplify language to accommodate those who do not know or care about its finer points. While this could make communication more accessible, it also weakens precision and nuance.
The decline of hyphenation, for instance, is a small but telling example of how clarity is often sacrificed for convenience.
This fixed expression or lexical unit is treated as one word. The problem arises with hyphenation: should it be "brain rot" or "brain-rot"? Hyphenation is falling out of favor in modern English, especially in informal or online discourse. Many compounds that once took a hyphen (e-mail, on-line) have lost it over time (email, online). Since brain rot emerged from internet slang, its unhyphenated form likely reflects contemporary usage rather than strict grammatical precision. Oxford, however, tends to follow prevailing usage rather than impose grammatical order. Since brain rot has gained traction in its spaced form, they likely keep it that way for consistency with how people write it.
The prevailing trend is to simplify language to accommodate those who do not know or care about its finer points. While this could make communication more accessible, it also weakens precision and nuance.
The decline of hyphenation, for instance, is a small but telling example of how clarity is often sacrificed for convenience.
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