‘Youthquake’ – many of us have never heard the word before but have positively felt the impact of what it implies. Youthquake is defined as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”, and has been selected by Oxford Dictionaries as 2017 word of the year.
And yes, it does sum up the year we have had, with the Millennials speaking out against political outrage. The word was originally coined in the 1960s by the then-Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, to describe upheavals in fashion and music caused by Britain’s youth. Since then, the word has seen a 401% increase year-on-year, leading to 2017, where young voters and protesters made their presence felt.
Image Source: Galaxy Mag
“Youthquake may not seem like the most obvious choice for word of the year, and it’s true that it’s yet to land firmly on American soil, but strong evidence in the UK calls it out as a word on the move,” said Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Dictionaries to The Guardian.
“Most importantly for me, at a time when our language is reflecting our deepening unrest and exhausted nerves, it is a rare political word that sounds a hopeful note. Sometimes you pick a word as the word of the year because you recognise that it has arrived, but other times you pick one that is knocking at the door and you want to help usher in…I think this past year calls for a word we can all rally behind,” he explained in a blogpost.
The word brings with it a promise, that the youth of this generation are ready to fight for a change and maybe that’s exactly the note we need to begin 2018 on!
Featured Image: TOI
