Vax, an abbreviated version of vaccinated and vaccine, has been chosen as the word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) team.
The lexicographers' word choice reflects the global vaccine drive, as the use of the word has risen by 72 times in the past year. Words relating to vaccines – including double-vaxxed, unvaxxed and anti-vaxxer – have also spiked in use, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"It goes back at least to the 1980s, but according to our corpus it was rarely used until this year," the OED's senior editor Fiona McPherson said.
"When you add to that its versatility in forming other words – vaxxie, vax-a-thon, vaxinista – it became clear that vax was the standout in the crowd."
It can be spelt both vax and vaxx, but the form with one x is more commonly used.
The OED's definition for vax is both as a noun, "a vaccine or vaccination", and as a verb, "treat (someone) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease; vaccinate".
OED definitions of words related to vax:
- vaxxie n. A photograph of oneself taken during or immediately before or after a vaccination, especially one against Covid-19, and typically shared on social media; a vaccination selfie
- anti-vax adj. Opposed to vaccination
- anti-vaxxer n. A person who is opposed to vaccination
- double-vaxxed adj. Having received two doses of a vaccine
Publishers Oxford Languages and Collins each annually select a word of the year, but Collins is yet to announce its 2021 word. It chose lockdown in 2020.
Last year, the OED declined to select only one word, so it created a list of words and phrases that summed up the "unprecedented year", which included lockdown, bushfires, Covid-19, Black Lives Matter, WFH (work from home), keyworkers and furlough.
Previous OED words of the year:
- 2004 – Chav
- 2005 – Sudoku
- 2006 – Bovvered
- 2007 – No word announced
- 2008 – Credit crunch
- 2009 – Simples
- 2010 – Big society
- 2011 – Squeezed middle
- 2012 – Omnishambles
- 2013 – Selfie
- 2014 – Vape
- 2015 – 😂 – the face with tears of joy emoji
- 2016 – Post-truth
- 2017 – Youthquake
- 2018 – Toxic
- 2019 – Climate emergency
- 2020 – No single word
The word choice is not always a single word – for instance, in the case of 2010's big society and 2019's climate emergency – and it does not have to have been coined in the last 12 months. The word or phrase is always a reflection of the year before, however.
A word of the year doesn't necessarily get added to the Oxford dictionary.
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
Dunki
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RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
More on Quran memorisation:
Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (87')
Athletic Bilbao 1
Williams (14')
