Global Language Monitor: Difference between revisions

The Global Language Monitor (GLM) is an Austin, Texas-based company that collectively documents, analyzes and tracks trends in language usage worldwide, with a particular emphasis upon the English language. It is particularly known for its widely reported predictions of English reaching its millionth word.

History

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2003, the GLM's roots date back to Dr. Robert Beard’s Web of Online Dictionary, Bucknell University, 1994. This was reorganised in 1999 into yourDictionary.com, with Paul JJ Payack as founding president. Payack established GLM in 2003 to continue media analysis functions begun at YDC. The GLM describes its role as "expert analysis on language trends and their subsequent impact on politics, culture and business, including the PQ Index/Indicator, analysis of media coverage of major, worldwide events, the rise of Global English and its march to its 1,000,000th word, the Chinglish Phemomenon, Global yoofSpeak, and many others". In April 2008, GLM moved its headquarters from San Diego to Austin.

Counting English words

GLM attempts to count the number of words in the English Language, and has been widely cited over its prediction of the millionth English word, a theory expounded in Paul Payack's book on the same subject. This event was first predicted for the summer of 2006, but the forecast has been updated to April 29, 2009. However, the basis for the count is generally disputed by lexicographers and linguists such as Geoffrey Nunberg, Jesse Sheidlower and others on grounds that a count is impossible due to there being no clear-cut criteria for inclusion/exclusion.

Obama an English language word

On 20 February 2008 GLM announced that the latest word to enter the English language is obama in its many variations. The word is derived from the name, Barack Obama, the Senator from Illinois, and Democratic candidate for the US Presidency for the 2008 election.

GLM described Obama- as a ‘root’ for an ever-expanding number of words, including: obamamentum, obamacize, obamarama, obamaNation, obamanomics, obamican, obamafy, obamamania, and obamacam.

GLM explained, “To enter the English language, a word has to meet certain criteria, including: frequency of appearance in the written and spoken language, in the media, have a large geographic footprint, and to stand the test of time.

"In the past, this process would unfold over many years, even decades or centuries. However, the Internet, with instant global communication to billions of people has radically accelerated the cycle.”

"Other names that have made the leap into the language, include jacuzzi, kodak, macadam, Caesarian section (after Julius Caesar who was said to have been "plucked from his mother's womb"); decibel (the measure of sound), Hertz, and frisbee."

High tech terms

On 14 October 2007 GLM released a list of the most confusing high tech terms and buzzwords. The words included: iPOD, flash, cookie, nano and kernel, followed by megahertz, cell (as in cell phone), plasma, de-duplication and Blu-Ray. Other terms being tracked included terabyte, memory, core, and head crash. The most confusing acronym was found to be SOA, for service-oriented architecture, an acronym which IBM published a book about.

The study was released on the 13th anniversary of the cookie, the invention that made the World Wide Web practical for widespread surfing, communication, and e-commerce.

Top word of the year

Top word of 2007

On 13 December 2007 GLM released its annual Word of the Year (WOTY) lists including top phrases and top names. 'Hybrid' was named as the top WOTY, 'Climate Change' was named the top phrase, and 'Al Gore' the top name. GLM explained,

The idea of planetary peril and impending climatic doom resonated throughout our linguistic analysis, with the various words and phrases garnering hundreds of millions of citations; in the end this narrowly outdistanced the word 'surge' that also had a disproportionate impact upon 2007's linguistic landscape.

The words were culled from throughout the English-speaking world that GLM says currently numbers some 1.35 billion speakers and includes such diverse cultures as China, the Philippines, and India.

2007 top ten words

The top ten words for 2007 as stated by GLM are:

1. Hybrid, referring to hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). Chosen "to represent all things green from biodiesel to wearing clothes made of soy, to global warming to living with a zero-carbon footprint."
2. Surge, referring to political and military strategy of the Bush administration to win the Iraq war.
3. Bubble, referring to the U.S. housing bubble and related credit crunch.
4. Smirting, a portmanteau of 'smoking' and 'flirting' often while being banished outside a building for smoking cigarettes.
5. Pb, referring to the symbol lead, the "culprit in innumerable toy recalls this year".
6. Ideating, forming and relating ideas.
7. Ω-3 or omega-3 fatty acids, the "healthy fatty acid.
8. Cleavage, referring to a woman's breasts, which the GLM states is "a touchy campaign subject" in the US elections.
9. Amigoization, referring to the "increasing Hispanic influence in California, the Southwest and into the Heartland.
10. Bluetooth, referring to technology to connect electronic devices by radio waves.

2007 top ten phrases

1. Climate change -- The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere;
2. Ho-Ho-Ho -- Santa’s trademark phrase. In Australia officials are suggesting ‘Ha-Ha-Ha’ because the former may scandalize the children;
3. All-time low -- The phrase apparently grafted next to the president’s name in the media;
4. Theory of Everything -- Garrett Lisi’s especially simple theory of the Universe that unites all forces and gravity in one elegant structure;
5. Planetary Peril -- Al Gore’s trademark phrase to describe the Earth’s current condition;
6. Wristband Wagon -- Wearing your heart on your … wrist. Pink against breast cancer, red against third-world poverty, ‘camouflage’ (or yellow as in yellow ribbon) to support the troops;
7. No Noising -- Chinese/English hybrid (Chinglish) for ‘quiet please!’;
8. Fade to black -- From the Soprano’s series finale to the Hollywood writers’ strike;
9. Fossil Fuels -- The enemy of the Greens: Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas (anything hydrocarbon-based);
10. Fashion tribe -- Persons who follow a particular fashion with a tribe-like mindset: Examples include EMO, Hip-hop or Goth.

2007 top ten names

1. Al Gore -- Conveniently, doesn’t need the presidency to top the list;
2. The Decider -- George W. Bush, still president after all these years;
3. Bono -- The U2 front man stands out in front on Third World debt relief;
4. Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton -- Barack Obama’s surname now qualifies as a buzzword; quite unusual, though Hil comes close;
5. Hugo Chavez -- The Gadfly of Latin America;
6. Vladimir Putin -- The supreme leader (President, Prime Minister, whatever) of the Russian Federation;
7. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- Iranian President suggests moving Israel to Europe;
8. Pope Benedict XVI -- continues to engage Muslim leadership in thoughtful discussions;
9. David Beckham and Posh Spice -- Yet another ‘new’ type of Hollywood power couple;
10. Fidel Castro -- The head one of the few remaining Communist states lives yet another year.

Top ten words from 2000 to 2008

2008: Top Word: Change; Top Phrase: Financial Tsunami; Top Name: Barack Obama.

2007: Hybrid (representing all things green} No 2. Surge;

2006: Sustainable;

2005: Refugee vs. Evacuee, No 2. Tsunami, No. 3 Katrina;

2004: Top Word: Incivility (for inCivil War); Top Phrase: Red States/Blue States, No. 2: Rush to War; Top Name: Dubya/Rove;

2003: Top Word: Embedded; Top Phrase: Shock and Awe; No. 2: Rush to War; Top Name: Saddam Hussein; No. 2 Dubya.

2002: Misunderestimate; Top Phrase: Threat Fatigue; Top Name: W (Dubya).

2001: Top Word: Ground Zero; Top Phrase: 'Let's Roll'; Top Name: The Heroes.

2000: Top Word: Chad; Top Phrase: Dot.com; Top Name: W (Dubya).

Note: From 2007-2004, Global Language Monitor; from 2003 to 2000, GLM predecessor, yourDictionary.

Top Top Fashion Cities from 2008 and 2007

The Global Language Monitor's annual list of the Top Fashion Cities ranked by media exposure; the 2008 ranking, the 2007 rank, and commentary follow.

New York (1) - No. 1 for the fifth year running. Rome (2) - The Eternal City, again, a strong No. 2. Paris (3) - Perhaps No. 1 in the world’s hearts and mind - but not the media’s. Milan (5) - Overtakes London in this survey. London (4) - The Elite Five far outdistance the rest. Los Angeles (6) - LA knocks on the door of the Elite Five. Sydney (12) - Sydney makes a huge move, breaking into the Top 10. Las Vegas (9) - The intense media spotlight improves Vegas’ ranking. Berlin (11) - Berlin continues its very strong presence. Tokyo (6) - Tokyo remains the capital of the Asian Fashion Industry. Hong Kong (8) - Threatening to move ahead of Tokyo. Dubai (24) - Massive marketing fueled by petrodollars can make an impact. Shanghai (14) - Vies with Hong Kong for the lead in China. Singapore (10) - Significant fashion infrastructure keeps its ranking strong. Madrid (New) - Reasserts the Iberian fashion lead over Barcelona. Moscow (16) - Firmly ensconces itself in the Top Twenty. Santiago (19) - Leads Latin America. Melbourne (15) - Take a second seat to a high-flying Sydney. Stockholm (New) - First Scandinavian on the list. Buenos Aires (22) - Traditional leader in fashion continues to move up the rankings. Johannesburg (23) - Joburg improves two spots. Mumbai (18) - Mumbai again leads the Subcontinent. Cape Town (New) - Joburg’s rival is new to the list. New Delhi (New) - New Delhi makes the List, but still is outpaced by Bollywood. Barcelona (13) - Still in the Top Twenty-five though Madrid has strong lead. Miami (New) - Makes the list on its leadership in swimwear. Krakow (25) - Shares the neo-Bohemian spotlight with Prague. Prague (New) - No neo about this rising center of fashion. Toronto (New) — First Canadian city on the list; Montreal just missed the rankings. Rio de Janeiro (20) - Strong Latin American No. 3 outpacing Sao Paolo. Others in the rankings included Copenhagen, Montreal, Sao Paolo, and Bangkok

Predictive Quantities Indicator

GLM uses another tool, its Predictive Quantities Indicator (PQI) to run analytics on global language trends that it catalogs on its site. PQI "tracks momentum, direction, year-over-year changes, as well as several other indicators, and produces a statistically normalized result." This proprietary algorithm tracks the frequency of words and phrases in the global print and electronic media, on the Internet, throughout the blogosphere, as well as accessing proprietary databases (Factiva, Lexis-Nexis, etc.). It claims the PQI to be a weighted index, factoring in long-term trends, short-term changes, momentum, and velocity. As such it can create signals that can be used in a variety of applications.

Internet-based College and University Rankings

In September 2008, the Global Language Monitor ranked the nation’s colleges and universities "according their appearance on the Internet, throughout the Blogosphere, as well in the global print and electronic media" .

The schools were also ranked according to ‘media momentum’ defined as having the largest change in media citations over the last year, among other criteria.

The purpose of the methodology was to perceive the schools through the eyes of the world at large since “Prospective students, alumni, employers, and the world at large believe that students who are graduated from such institutions will carry on the all the hallmarks of that particular school" .

GLM used its proprietary Predictive Quantities Indicator (PQI) software for what it called its TrendTopper Media Buzz Analysis. It employed the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s classifications to distinguish between Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges. The schools were ranked according to their positions in early September, a mid-year snapshot, and used the last day of 2007 as the base.

External links

• Official Site