Language innovation on social media: a case study of rizz on TikTok
The English language is in a constant state of evolution, particularly with the influence of online platforms. Each year, new words and expressions emerge, highlighted by the Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year (WOTY) announcement. In 2023, rizz, a term popularised on TikTok, which means the...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2025
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25958/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25958/1/Gema_25_1_7.pdf |
| Summary: | The English language is in a constant state of evolution, particularly with the influence of online
platforms. Each year, new words and expressions emerge, highlighted by the Oxford Dictionary’s
Word of the Year (WOTY) announcement. In 2023, rizz, a term popularised on TikTok, which
means the ability to woo someone, was named WOTY. Given the rapid rise of rizz from being a
novel word to gaining widespread recognition, this study examines the invention and proliferation
of this word using a mixed-method approach. With the aid of Diffusion of Innovations theory, 100
TikTok videos were analysed for their content and the English Trends corpus analysis was utilised,
along with the tool Google Trends to understand the spread of this lexical item. The results show
that rizz began to be used in 2022, and its usage has slowly declined since it was named WOTY.
It was also found that creativity and virality are some of the pertinent aspects of word dissemination
on TikTok. Aside from that, American English continues to dominate a newer platform like
TikTok, as it has with previous applications. This dominance is evident in the widespread use of
American slang and expressions which often become global trends. The study emphasizes the
concept of language mobility on social media by showing how new lexical items are created online
and reach a global audience, potentially becoming dictionary entries. The invention of novel
lexical items is expected to continue in the future as it demonstrates the ongoing change and
variation of the English language in a fast-paced world. |
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