‘Lady Gaga’, ‘Tea Party’, and ‘iPad’ are amongst the top words and terms searched for on the internet in 2010.
The findings come from the Texas-based organisation Global Language Monitor, which documents changes and trends in the English language.
Their research includes the top words, the top phrases, and the top names searched for by English speaking users, adding up to an astonishing 1.58 billion people worldwide.
The top word for 2010 is ‘Spillcam’, referring to the BP camera, which filmed the disaster site of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In second place comes the noisy South African music instrument ‘vuvuzela’, which blew us all away during the World Cup.
The lists also include the search terms: ‘Snowmaggedden’ (describing the heavy snowfalls in the US and Northern Europe last winter); Sarah Palin’s made-up word ‘refudiate’ (meaning a general sense of ‘reject’); as well as eccentric pop icon ‘Lady Gaga’.
Paul JJ Payack, President of The Global Language Monitor who analysed the data explained:“Our top words this year come from an environmental disaster, the World Cup, political malapropisms, new senses to ancient words, a booming economic colossus, and a heroic rescue that captivated the world for days on end.”
The five most popular names searched for in 2010 are:
1. China’s President Hu Jintao
2. iPad (the tablet computer by Apple)
3. President Barack Obama
4. Chilean Coal Miners
5. Eyjafjallajoekull (the Icelandic volcano)
To see the full list of words and phrases, go to languagemonitor.com
– Inger Smith
