World

‘Lockdown’ Declared Collins Word Of The Year 2020

London: The highly-used word ‘lockdown’ during the COVID-19 pandemic has been declared Collins Word of the Year 2020, PTI reported.

The dictionary defines the word as “the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces”.

“Our lexicographers chose lockdown as Word of the Year because it is a unifying experience for billions of people across the world, who have had, collectively, to play their part in combating the spread of COVID-19,” Collins was quoted as saying by the news agency.

“Language is a reflection of the world around us and 2020 has been dominated by the global pandemic…Lockdown has affected the way we work, study, shop, and socialise. With many countries entering a second lockdown, it is not a word of the year to celebrate but it is, perhaps, one that sums up the year for most of the world,” Helen Newstead, language content consultant at Collins said.

Many other pandemic related words have bagged a place in Collins’ long list of the top 10 words of the year, including ‘furlough’ or the temporary laying-off of employees, and ‘self-isolate’, or to quarantine oneself.

‘Megxit’, or Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s exit as senior members of the UK royal family, and ‘BLM’ or Black Lives Matter, the huge global anti-racism movement were also among the keywords. The word ‘mukbang’ from Korea, defined as “a video or webcast in which the host noisily eats a large quantity of food for the entertainment of viewers” also made it to Collins words of the year.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Unprecedented Move: Joe Biden Issues Last-Minute Pardons To Shield Anthony Fauci & Other Trump Critics

Washington: Hours before leaving office, Joe Biden made an unprecedented move on Monday. The outgoing US…

15 minutes ago

Odisha Govt To Hold National Workshop To Prepare Roadmap For Implementation Of NEP

Bhubaneswar: In another step towards implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Odisha, the…

40 minutes ago

Bhubaneswar’s Pathani Samanta Planetarium Prepares For ‘Planetary Parade’; Check Timings To View The Spectacle

Bhubaneswar- Sky gazers are in for a treat as a rare astronomical phenomenon will be…

47 minutes ago

‘Have A Heart; Leave Us Alone’: Kareena Kapoor Calls Out Paparazzi For Shooting Video

Mumbai: Kareena Kapoor Khan and her family are going through a tough time after the…

1 hour ago

Sharon Raj Murder Case: Girlfriend Sentenced To Death For Poisoning 23-Yr-Old Youth

Thiruvananthapuram: On a day when a Kolkata court sentenced civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy to life…

1 hour ago

Odisha Aims At Becoming Global Leader In Mining Industry, Says CM Mohan Majhi

Bhubaneswar: Odisha's vision is to become a global leader in the mining industry, setting benchmarks for…

1 hour ago