Oxford English Dictionary's Word of Year 2015 is ... NOT a word at all

The Oxford English Dictionary has picked a popular emoji to be the 2015 Word of the Year

AN EMOJI displaying a smile with tears of joy has broken tradition to become Oxford Dictionaries 2015 Word of the Year.

 

The Oxford English Dictionary has picked an emoji for the 2015 Word of the Year.

It is the first pictograph to win the award.

Judges said the emoji –  which shows a smiley face crying tears of joy – captures the ethos of our modern age because of its popularity.

Emoji culture has exploded into the global mainstream with US presidential candidate Hilary Clinton even using the pictographs in an attempt to connect with Twitter users.

 

Experts now believe the emoji is becoming an "increasingly rich form of communication" for the online generation, replacing the traditional alphabet.

Other words in the running for the prestigious Oxford English Dictionary award include Ad Blocker, Brexit, Dark Web and Lumbersexual.

President of Oxford Dictionaries Casper Grathwohl said: "You can see how traditional alphabet scripts have been struggling to meet the rapid-fire, visually focused demands of 21st Century communication.

"It's not surprising that a pictographic script like emoji has stepped in to fill those gaps-it's flexible, immediate, and infuses tone beautifully.

 

Face with Tears of Joy has been named the 2015 Word of the Year, thanks to its increased popularity

"As a result emoji are becoming an increasingly rich form of communication, one that transcends linguistic borders.

"When Andy Murray tweeted out his wedding itinerary entirely in emoji, for example, he shared a subtle mix of his feelings about the day directly with fans around the world.

"It was highly effective in expressing his emotions."

Every year, the Oxford English Dictionary team reviews candidates for word of the year and then debates their merits – eventually choosing one that captures the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year.

 

'Face with Tears of Joy' was the most heavily used emoji globally in 2015 with the character comprised 20 per cent of all emoji used in the UK in 2015 and 17 per cent of all emoji used in the USA.

This compared to four per cent and nine per cent respectively last year. In the US, the next most popular emoji was 'Face Throwing a Kiss,' comprising nine per cent of all usage.

 

"Emoji culture has become so popular that individual characters have developed their own trends and stories," Mr Grathwohl added.

"They can serve as insightful windows through which to view our cultural preoccupations, so it seemed appropriate to reflect this emoji obsession by selecting one as this year's 'word' of the year."

Emoji originated in Japan and is defined as "a small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion in electronic communication."

Apple recently included the controversial middle finger emoji in an update to its hugely popular iPhone and iPad devices.