The Evolution of Language: How New Words Shape How We Speak and Who We Are
Language is one of the most fascinating tools humans have—it grows, shifts, bends, and even breaks to reflect how we live, what we feel, and who we are. But where do new words actually come from? And why do some stick around while others fade into obscurity?
This month, as we observe Mental Health Awareness Month for Communities of Color, it’s worth thinking about how the words we use—or don't yet have—shape the way we talk about healing, identity, and cultural expression. Language isn't just about communication. It's also about connection, representation, and belonging.
Let’s dive into the story of how new words are born, who creates them, and how they help us better understand ourselves and each other.
Borrowed and Built: The Two Main Paths to New Words
New words often enter a language in one of two ways:
l Borrowing – English has long been a linguistic sponge, absorbing words from other languages when it doesn't already have the vocabulary to express a particular concept. That’s how we got words like schadenfreude (from German, meaning “joy at someone else’s misfortune”) and safari (from Swahili via Arabic, meaning “journey”).
l Invention – Sometimes, people make up entirely new words to suit a particular moment, feeling, or need. These coined terms are called nonce words if they appear only once or are created for a specific occasion. If they catch on, they become neologisms—a fancy way to say “new words that stick.”
English is especially welcoming to new terms, which helps explain why it has one of the largest vocabularies of any language in the world.
From Nonsense to Neologism: How Made-Up Words Become Real
What makes a made-up word “real”? Technically, any word you use in communication that others understand is doing the job of language. But for a word to be considered “official,” it usually needs time, repetition, and widespread usage.
Take the word guesstimate—a blend of “guess” and “estimate.” It first appeared more than 80 years ago and was initially seen as casual or even silly. But over time, it entered mainstream usage, appearing in newspapers, academic writing, and eventually, dictionaries.
Yet most made-up words never reach that level of acceptance. Many disappear as quickly as they arrive, living only briefly in unabridged dictionaries or fading completely as speakers move on to newer expressions.
Fictional Origins: Writers as Wordmakers
Some of the most beloved (and bizarre) new words have come from literary creators with a knack for linguistic experimentation:
Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)
Carroll invented dozens of playful, strange, and vivid words in his stories and poems. The word chortle—a portmanteau of “chuckle” and “snort”—is now widely used. Other Carroll coinages like slithy or frabjous are more niche but still memorable.
James Joyce
In Finnegans Wake (1939), Joyce crammed thousands of new terms into a dreamlike, confusing narrative. Some of them, like meandertale (meander + tale) or yawnscripture (possibly referencing dull religious texts), never made it into regular use.
However, one of Joyce’s nonsense words did make a scientific breakthrough: quark. Physicist Murray Gell-Mann adopted the term in 1964 to name a class of subatomic particles. Why? Because it sounded good—and because Joyce’s original sentence referred to three quarks, matching the particle's early classification.
Sci-Fi, Tech, and Subcultures: Other Sources of New Language
Every generation has its own set of coined words, often born from literature, media, or emerging technology.
Grok
Invented by science fiction author Robert Heinlein in Stranger in a Strange Land (1961), grok means to deeply and intuitively understand something. The word became popular during the 1960s counterculture era—and it re-emerged in 2023 when Elon Musk named his AI chatbot “Grok.”
LOL and Skibidi
Other times, words emerge from memes, mistakes, or digital subcultures. LOL began as an acronym for “laugh out loud” but now functions in many ways—as an interjection, a filler, or even a tone indicator.
More recently, Gen Alpha coined skibidi, a bizarre word that went viral through surreal YouTube videos. Though mostly nonsense, it’s an example of how young people invent their own language to reflect their humor, creativity, and cultural references.
Mistakes That Became Words
Sometimes, even errors become accepted terms:
l Dord – In the 1934 edition of New International Dictionary, “dord” appeared as a noun meaning “density.” But it was actually a misreading of a notation that meant “D or d” (for the abbreviation of density). Oops.
l Covfefe – When former President Donald Trump tweeted “Despite the constant negative press covfefe” in 2017, the internet exploded with speculation. The word was likely a typo for “coverage,” but covfefe took on a cultural life of its own, spawning memes and mockery alike.
These moments show that language isn’t static—it reacts to humor, error, and shared human experience.
What Sticks and What Fades?
Words fall in and out of favor all the time. Take supercalifragilisticexpialidocious—a made-up term from Mary Poppins (1964) that briefly exploded in popularity. Or retro slang like tubular, groovy, or rad—once considered cutting-edge, now seen as relics of another era.
The terms we use signal identity and culture. What younger people embrace often contrasts with what older generations deem appropriate. Language, like people, constantly evolves. And the friction between generations is often part of how change happens.
Why Words Matter for Mental Health and Cultural Connection
Language isn't just about expression—it's about access, identity, and emotional safety.
When it comes to therapy and mental health, the words we use can make the difference between feeling safe and feeling alienated. Many communities of color are not struggling with stigma or fear of therapy—but rather, with access. It’s hard to open up when your therapist doesn’t understand your lived experience or dismisses the language you use to describe your feelings.
Representation in therapy matters. Having words that reflect your culture, emotions, and community matters. That’s why it’s important to create space where people can speak in their own terms—whether that’s in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), Taglish, Spanglish, or another blend of cultural speech.
The Future of Language Belongs to All of Us
As our world becomes more interconnected, so does our language. Words from different backgrounds mix and evolve. New terms show up on social media, in music, on protest signs, and in therapy rooms.
Whether it’s a brand-new meme or a long-held cultural phrase finally entering the mainstream, language is a living thing. It reflects our joy, our grief, our humor, our identity—and our healing.
At Walk With Me Counseling Center, we believe therapy should meet you where you are—linguistically, emotionally, and culturally. That’s why we value the evolution of language. Because healing doesn't always sound like a clinical diagnosis. Sometimes it sounds like a laugh, a phrase only your family uses, or a word you didn’t know you needed until someone gave it to you.
Feeling Overwhelmed? Your Words and Your Healing Matter
If political tension, cultural disconnection, or personal stress have left you feeling emotionally drained, we’re here to help.
Walk With Me Counseling Center is here to help if you're overwhelmed by election stress or political disagreements. We offer virtual therapy sessions across Illinois, so support is just a click away no matter where you are—whether in Chicago or another part of the state.
Complete our intake form today and take the first step toward protecting your mental health during this intense election season.
Your mental well-being should be your top priority, especially during an election as heated as this one. Don’t let political stress strain your relationships or leave you feeling overwhelmed. Whether you’re in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois, we’re here to help you navigate these challenging conversations before they take a bigger toll on your mental health.
