‘Jai ho’, ‘Slumdog’ or ‘Chaddies’ could be the millionth word of the English language. Seventy five words, including ‘Octomom’ and ‘Recessesionista’ are in the running.
The Global Language Monitor (GLM), a Texas-based firm that analyses trends in word usage, will choose the millionth word on June 10.
The Indian entries include Chaddies (panties), Jai Ho (AR Rahman’s Oscar-winning track) and ‘Slumdog’.
The GLM has 999,927 words in its ‘English language world clock’. “The million word milestone brings to notice the coming of age of English as the first truly global Language,” said Paul JJ Payack, president of the GLM.
Payack, who authored A Million Words and Counting, said there were a few trends in the language. “First, an explosion in word creation — words are being added to the language at the rate of 14.7 words a day. Second is a geographic explosion where 1.53 billion people now speak English.”
Other finalists are Australia’s alchopops (sugary flavoured mixed drinks), bangster (a Polish combination of gangster and banker), de-friend (internet lingo for no longer following a friends update), sexting (texting of sexual content), quendy-trendy (British slang for hip), and mobama (relating to the fashion trends of US first lady).
Another word in the list is ‘OK’ — called “the most recognised English word on the planet”.
