The Oxford Dictionary’s annual selection of a ‘Word of the Year’ has always been a bit of an elusive concept to me. I don’t recall the first time that this ‘competition’ caught my attention, but a quick Google search tells me that the Oxford English Dictionary has been selecting a ‘Word of the Year’ since at least 2004 (“Word of the Year”). With this knowledge, I admit that my first thought is that the purpose of a competition like this is likely to simply add perceived value to a resource that is unfortunately slowly losing pertinence in today’s digital world.

It’s important that I qualify that last statement. I am by no means saying that a dictionary is no longer important to society; I would argue vehemently to the contrary. However, it is undeniable that the physical dictionary in its paper form is becoming less and less important in today’s world than it once was. This is echoed by a number of other resources: magazines, newspapers, and books. When is the last time that you purchased a multi-volume encyclopedia? These are all examples of items that have slowly been losing their spot in the daily happenings of our technology-dependent society. Progressive? Maybe. Unfortunate? Absolutely.

To return to the topic at hand, this year’s selected ‘Word of the Year’ was announced on Monday, and in no way eased my feelings of cynicism towards this annual process. The winner of ‘Word of the Year,’ also referred to as the ‘WOTY’ in the Oxford Dictionary’s blog (Oxford Dictionaries), is in fact, not a word but a pictograph (or, an ‘emoji’). In the Oxford Dictionary blog, the author writes that “there were other strong contenders from a range of fields […] but [the tears of joy emoji] was chosen as the ‘word’ that best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015.”

I can’t help but wonder how the conversation around this selection played out. Did the ‘judges’ refer back to the definition of ‘word’ in the dictionary that must sit within arm's reach of any boardroom table at the company’s headquarters? Or did they decide that the definition of the word is flexible, so to adapt to the needs of language users today? And if so, why has that change not been formalized? We are, after all, talking about the company that is currently reviewing every word in the dictionary (Oxford English Dictionary). As I asked myself these questions, my original assumption echoed in the back of my mind. Realistically, it wasn’t the dictionary's editors who decided on the ‘WOTY’ for 2015. Rather, it was a clever marketing team who chose to capitalize on, what would likely become, a topic of conversation.

To that team of staff, I applaud you. My morning commute was full of heated opinions on the radio. Your decision took much of my attention all day. In fact, I visited the Oxford English Dictionary’s website for the first time in many, many years. In the process of writing this blog, I’ve discussed this decision with no fewer than five people. For the marketing team at the Oxford English Dictionary, this strategic decision was a win. The value of this is not lost on me. New breath has been breathed into an aging resource that is slowly losing its grip on an uninterested, ever-progressing audience.

However, on a serious note, I can think of five contenders that are more reflective of the 2015 that I am watching unfold. All of which, I might add, are actually ‘words’, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary. ‘Vote.’ ‘Economy.’ ‘Leadership.’ ‘Millennial.’ ‘Refugee.’

These are just a few examples that strike me as more fitting to represent this past year. Instead, the ‘tears of joy’ emoji will be what captures our world in the historic files of the Oxford English Dictionary. Fascinating.

As the Oxford Dictionary’s website states, a dictionary is an “ever-growing and developing record of the language.” I deeply, deeply respect that. I also respect the need to be progressive and to challenge what we believe to be true, in all fields. This includes in language and in writing. Furthermore, an organization has every right to fight for pertinence and to reinvent itself as required. That being said, I can’t help but consider the message this sends, particularly to future generations who one day happen upon this historic resource and discover the ‘word’ chosen to represent our society for the year 2015. I expect – and truly, I hope – that future generations question the decision. I also hope that this questioning leads to discussion. And if it does, I owe today’s marketing team at the Oxford English Dictionary an apology for my cynical judgment of their decision, and a ‘thank you’ for forever igniting conversation.

Works Cited

Bowman, John. "Oxford Dictionaries Selects 'tears of Joy' Emoji as 'word' of the Year." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Oxford Dictionaries. "Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2015 Is..." OxfordWords Blog. N.p., 16 Nov. 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

"Word of the Year." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.