Collins Dictionary picks ‘lockdown’ as Word of the Year 2020 as COVID cases surge across globe

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The 12 months 2020 noticed the novel coronavirus driving the world in direction of a flurry of adjustments. Governments throughout the globe needed to implement stringent lockdowns so as to cease the pandemic from spreading. Now, the elevated use of the phrase ‘lockdown’ has led Collins Dictionary to decide on it as its Phrase of the 12 months.

Collins defines lockdown as: “the imposition of stringent restrictions on journey, social interplay, and entry to public areas” in British English.

In line with The Guardian report, Collins noticed a rise of 6,000 % within the utilization of the phrase ‘lockdown’ from final 12 months. That is inclusive of the phrase search frequency seen concerning the 4.5 billion phrases contained within the prestigious dictionary. Whereas in 2019, individuals used the phrase in documented areas solely 4,000 instances, this 12 months the numbers went over 1 / 4 of 1,000,000.

Helen Newstead, a language content material marketing consultant at Collins, was quoted by BBC as saying, “Language is a mirrored image of the world round us and 2020 has been dominated by the worldwide pandemic”.

She went on to say how lockdown has affected “the way in which we work, research, store, and socialise”.

Nonetheless, she states how the elevated use of the phrase was not a trigger for celebration however concern. “With many nations getting into a second lockdown, it’s not a phrase of the 12 months to have a good time however it’s, maybe, one which sums up the 12 months for many of the world.”

The report added that Collins had zeroed upon “local weather strike” because the Phrase of the 12 months final 12 months, through which 17-year-old Greta Thunberg was seen main a world environmental motion.

The opposite phrases that noticed huge utilization in 2020 as recorded by Collins have been furlough, key employee, self-isolate, social distancing and coronavirus . All these are results or methods to battle the viral outbreak thus indicating the large influence the pandemic has had on us, as identified by India In the present day.

However talking of standard non-virus phrases utilized in 2020, BLM (referring to the Black Lives Matter motion), noticed an enormous surge. Collins mentioned there was a 581 % improve in its utilization.