Merriam-Webster names ‘Gaslighting’ as 2022 word of the year

American dictionary Merriam-Webster has termed “gaslighting” as the word of the year. According to the dictionary, “gaslighting” means psychologically manipulating a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.

Merriam-Webster revealed that searches for the word “gaslighting” on its website saw a 1740 percent rise in 2022 “with high interest throughout the year”.

Gaslighting was first used 80 years ago in a 1938 play titled “Gas Light” by Patrick Hamilton.

Merriam-Webster in an official statement said that ‘gaslight’ origins are colourful as the term comes from the title of a 1938 play. The plot of the play involves a man attempting to make his wife believe that she is going insane. “His mysterious activities in the attic cause the house’s gas lights to dim, but he insists to his wife that the lights are not dimming and that she can’t trust her own perceptions,” the statement added.

Later on, the word was used among psychiatrists and mental health practitioners to clinically describe emotional manipulation in abusive relationships.

“The word has risen so quickly in the English language, and especially in the last four years, that it has actually came as a suprise to me and many other editors,” news agency Associated Press quoted Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large of Merriam-Webster.

Other words that made to the top list in 2022 were “sentient”, “omicron” and “queen consort”.

Meanwhile, Oxford has shortlisted “Metaverse” as 2022’s word of the year. As stated by the Oxford University Press Metaverse is a “virtual reality environment in which users can interact with one another’s avatar in an immersive way.”

The last day to vote for Oxford’s word of the year is December 2, and the result will be declared on December 5.

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