NEWS
campusreview.com.au
Winning words
The words that dominated
Australia’s lexicon in 2019.
By Wade Zaglas
N
ew words – or neologisms – give
expression to hitherto unrealised or
articulated ideas, and underscore
the adaptability and beauty of the English
language. They also reflect the political,
social and economic contexts in which
they arise.
Interestingly, however, the Ozwords
shortlist of words and expressions that
dominated the national discourse in 2019
were not neologisms, although they may
have been appropriated in different ways to
convey new meanings.
Run by the Australian National Dictionary
Centre as a joint ANU and Oxford University
Press project, Ozwords chose the following
words as reflective of some of the important
issues that generated debate in 2019.
VOICE
Topping the list is ‘voice’, reflecting the
momentous Uluru Statement from the
Heart, devised as a parliamentary “channel
for Indigenous input into the making of laws
and policies affecting Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people”.
The Statement remains unfinished
business for Indigenous people across
6
Australia. The idea of an Indigenous ‘voice’
to parliament and government was floated
as early as 2015 by Noel Pearson but was
dismissed by the Turnbull government as a
potential third chamber of government and
a problematic constitutional change.
QUIET AUSTRALIANS
As the Coalition’s unexpected win
registered on our TV screens and devices,
Prime Minister Scott Morrison took to
the stage at Liberal HQ and espoused
the support and character of the “quiet
Australians”. These were, he said, Australians
who hold “moderate opinions but are not
likely to express them publicly”. The type of
people who “just get on with it”.
The term was criticised by many in the
community and media, who argued it had
little in common with the more altruistic
terms of Robert Menzies’ “forgotten people”
and John Howard’s “battlers”.
FISH KILL
After millions of fish died at the beginning
of last year in putrid, oxygen-depleted
waters in the Menindee Lakes of the Darling
River, in the far west region of NSW, ‘fish kill’
seemed the most apt and efficient way to
describe the tragedy. The event gave rise to
an emotional and broader narrative about
drought, water management, water security
and climate change.
INFLUENCER
In the pre-internet era, someone described
as ‘influential’ had few resources to draw
on, but the smartphone age has replaced
the ‘influential’ with the ‘influencer’ – and
it’s now a profession.
Put simply, an influencer is “a person
who uses their profile on social media to
promote products and services”.
However, while companies are beginning
to embrace diversity in terms of different
ethnicities and body types, most influencers
in beauty and fashion are celebrated for
their perfect measurements, flawless skin
and striking features.
Today’s social media influencers have
infiltrated the Australian market effectively.
They may be former celebrities, or people
with a popular YouTube channel or
Instagram account.
Their followers idealise them, imitating
their styles, diets, beliefs and so on. And the
commercial rewards can be enormous (for
both companies and influencers).
CLIMATE CHANGE
This is probably a no-brainer, but the
bushfires in Australia, unprecedented
climate change protest and natural disasters
around the world in 2019 gave this term
“greater prominence”.
And it doesn’t look like it will be going
away in 2020. n