Top words of 2012 capture 'impending doom'

USA Today

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As we say goodbye to 2012, let's hope our vocabulary shifts from bad vibes to positive signs.

The Global Language Monitor announced that "apocalypse" is the top, or most influential, word for 2012 in its 13th-annual global survey of the English language.

Perhaps that's not too surprising in a year when eight of the top words and phrases identified in the new survey "were directly related to a sense of impending doom," says Paul J.J. Payack, president of the Global Language Monitor. Fears of the end of the world from a misinterpretation of the ancient Maya calendar probably helped drive the dour tone, but the list of oft-used words and phrases included "Frankenstorm," "global warming," "fiscal cliff," "rogue nukes" and "near-Earth asteroids."

"So many words had to do with the end of life and end of the world," says Payack, whose Austin-based media analytics company tracks cultural trends in language.

The rankings are based on word usage throughout the English-speaking world whether in print or electronic media. The words, phrases and names must be found globally and have a minimum of 25,000 citations. The survey also considers breadth of usage, meaning that the terms must not be limited to a group or profession.

The survey also found that the top phrase is "Gangnam Style," the title of South Korean pop star Psy's single and video. Gangnam Style became the first video to hit a billion views on YouTube.

The top names cited were Newtown, the Connecticut town where there was a deadly school shooting, and Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teen attacked after advocating education for girls.

Payack says the survey reflects how the English language is evolving. "New words are being adopted quickly and driven by technology and social media," he adds.

He says the rapid spread of Frankenstorm, the nickname for Superstorm Sandy, is an example of how an utterance can become a globally recognized neologism, which is a newly coined word or expression.

"Frankenstorm - a U.S. meteorologist put it out in a bulletin," Payack says. "Within a week, it's around the world."

In 2011, the top word was "occupy," reflecting the Occupy protests against economic and social inequality and "occupied" areas such as Iraq and Palestine. The top phrase was "Arab Spring," referring to political uprisings in Arab countries. That year, the top name was Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple who died on Oct. 5, 2011.

What will be on the tips of our tongues in 2013?

Apocalyptic-type headlines still will be plentiful, because global warming and near-Earth asteroids will be in the news, Payack says. A sunspot cycle actually reaches solar max during 2013, he adds.

With Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, expecting their first child, the name of the royal heir would rank high on the list, he says. This would be especially true if Will and Kate have a daughter, who could spur efforts to change succession laws.

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