It’s hard to believe 2025 is already winding down.
Language lovers know the year is nearly over because dictionaries and language organizations are announcing, or preparing to announce, their Words of the Year. Some even break them out into categories like “Political Word of the Year” and “Digital Word of the Year.”
With words and phrases like "67," "aura farming," and "rage bait" dominating much of the discussion this year, we thought it seemed like a good time to talk about some of the other changes in words that are happening around us.
One of our listeners recently asked about "download." Many of us have long known this word as a way to talk about transferring data or files from one device to another. This usage goes back to the 1970s. In the 1960s, "download" could be used to talk about moving people or cargo from aircraft or ships.
Today, "download" has developed a very new, very human sense. For example, a friend might call and say, “I really need to download with you about what happened today.” Your friend isn't asking about moving electronic data and files — they're talking about getting something off their mind.
From what Professor Anne Curzan can tell, this usage only goes back six or seven years. It hasn't even made its way into most standard dictionaries yet, but it's one to keep an eye on.
The idea of downloading things from our brains got us also thinking about "process" and "mashup," and how those words have evolved over time. To hear our discussion, listen to the audio above.
