Teenage girls are rapidly dispersing novel language elements at an unprecedented pace.
In the ever-evolving world of language, women are proving to be trailblazers, leading the charge in linguistic changes both online and offline.
According to sociolinguist Sali Tagliamonte, young women who use new words are often subject to criticism. Yet, this hasn't deterred them from adopting and shaping the language of today. The English dictionary is adding words more frequently than ever, largely due to social media, where women, especially young girls, are more likely to be early adopters of the latest lingo.
A study by Tagliamonte and a colleague in 2005 found an interesting gender divide on the popular TV show Friends. Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe were more likely to use words like 'news' and 'social security' than their male counterparts, Ross, Chandler, and Joey. In fact, they were twice as likely to use 'really'.
This trend continues in online gaming communities, where women use new terms more frequently than their male counterparts, Tagliamonte notes.
The rapid language changes happening on social media have been the focus of several studies. In a 2018 study by Jack Grieve, women, especially Black women, dominated the matrices of the first groups using new words on Twitter. This discrepancy between men and women was also observed in a subsequent study by Grieve in 2018, which delved into 54 emerging word forms posted by American Twitter users.
The individuals who most likely first coin the newest words on the internet are typically users of social networks and online communities. These are often writers who experiment with expressive forms in digital communication, often breaking conventional spelling rules. New terms usually arise organically within internet subcultures rather than from specific identifiable persons.
The influence of women in language development isn't confined to the digital realm. According to William Labov, women are often linguistically ahead of men 'by a full generation'. This is evident in historical records as well. Queen Elizabeth I, for instance, used 'does' instead of 'doth' in letters to her brother Edward, making her one of the most linguistically progressive people of her day.
Dr. Seuss is said to have come up with 'nerd', while Charles Dickens is credited with 'butterfingers' and 'doormat'. Even Oxford University Press' 2023 word of the year, 'rizz', was coined by a man, but several runners-up, including 'situationship' and 'Swiftie', were inspired or first used by women.
In 2022, 'goblin mode', which refers to self-indulgent, lazy behavior, was Oxford's word of the year. Interestingly, it appears to have been first used by a woman on Twitter in 2009.
Sali Tagliamonte, in her research, emphasizes that language has its own path and changes whether we like it or not. Gretchen McCulloch, author of Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, suggests that women tend to be more socially aware and have larger social circles, which may contribute to their influence in language development.
In conclusion, women are leading the charge in language development, both online and offline. Their influence extends from the digital world of social media to historical records, demonstrating a consistent trend of linguistic progression. Whether it's the coining of new words or the adoption of emerging lingo, women are undeniably shaping the language of the future.
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