New words in the dictionary: let’s talk about the hows

The end of the year is coming and, with it, the announcement of the new additions to the RAE dictionary. December has become a kind of lexical Oscars gala, where fans confirm their predictions (You could see Dana’s thing coming), are outraged by the untimely arrivals (At good hours they put on funk!) and are disappointed by absences (When will I be flamenquín, gilda, online, stand-up comedian or polyamorous?). In addition to being a football coach, it seems that we all have an expert lexicographer inside us.

These announcements are more of a communication campaign than a truly linguistic event, especially because the data or methodology that supports the decisions made are never published. Ultimately, the selection of words that enter the dictionary tells us more about the process of how the RAE dictionary is made than about the world it claims to define.

#words #dictionary #lets #talk #hows

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