Before looking ahead to the trends of 2025, Alpha Translation & Interpretation takes a moment to reflect on the past year. Interpreters and translators know that their profession requires a constant awareness of language evolutions and the new terms that emerge in the news. So, what words may well have marked the year 2024?
12 months in 12 words according to the OQLF
At the end of the year, it's time to take stock. The one we're interested in today is a list of words published by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF).
Entitled “The 12 terms that stood out in 2024”, the list includes words “that reflect current events or emerging realities”, explains Nicolas Trudel, Director of Communications at the OQLF.
Technology on everyone's mind
Unsurprisingly, given our daily lives, technology and its innovations dominate the semantic landscape of 2024. The terms “multimodal artificial intelligence” and, more worryingly, “voice cloning”, bear witness to this.
On a brighter note, the term “humanitarian drone” underlines the use of technology for altruistic purposes.
The environment is also omnipresent
Environmental concerns are also at the heart of these 12 keywords. In Rome, Barcelona and many other cities, the mention of “overtourism” has repeatedly highlighted the need for more responsible tourism.
On the solutions side, “molecular recycling” represents a promising technological advance in reducing our ecological footprint.
Social justice in the spotlight
The social field is also addressed with the terms “glass ceiling” - recalling the defeat for the second time of a woman against Donald Trump at the American presidential election - and “collective bargaining”.
These words are a reminder that inequalities persist, and that the fight for social justice remains relevant today.
Interest for natural phenomena
This is underlined in the list by the terms “total eclipse” and “geomagnetic storm”. These events generate both fascination and concern, summing up our dependence on nature and the need to understand it better.
Finally, the terms “accessory dwelling unit”, “hidden-city ticketing” and “leapster” complete the picture, opening new windows on the world.
Bonus: The new neologisms of 2024
Three neologisms were also created by the Office québécois de la langue française's "2024 Lexical Creativity Contest". For this second edition, high school students were tasked with creating a word that designates a reality that is not named in French.
Among the winners was the neologism “soiedenter”. Got it? It's the action of cleaning your teeth with dental floss... for flossing in English.
Just for fun, we'll let you discover the other two on the OQLF website.
The year 2024, as reflected in the list published by the OQLF, is a year in which technology, the environment and social issues have taken center stage. In the day-to-day work of interpreters and translators, mastery of these terms is essential to enable them to adapt their practice to the constant evolution of language and concepts.