Today, we’ve got our final submission for 2016’s SXSW Panel Picker, this time from two of our very own: Matt Wilson, Software Engineer and Caroline Gasperin, Language Team Lead. Check it out:
In 2015, a multitude of befuddling new slang terms entered our digital lexicon – ‘on fleek’, ‘bae’, ‘turnt’ – not to mention the adaptation of existing words and phrases for new purposes – ‘literally’, ‘can’t even’, ‘basic’ and more. The origins of most of these terms have been identified; what is not widely known is how these neologisms spread, and where the tipping point occurs. What takes a word from a passing phase into a permanent part of our vocabularies? Using insights from a comprehensive analysis of millions of typed words, this session will take a scientific look at the origins and virality of slang, as well as the integral role played by internet culture and mobile devices.
Are you interested in hearing more? Voting is easy and fast – just make a quick login, and then click on the ‘thumbs up’ to cast your vote to see Matt and Caroline in Austin this March!
Be sure to check out other submissions from SwiftKey for SXSW 2016: Dr. Caroline Gasperin’s “What Porn & S’mores Have to do With Autocorrect”, Dr. Charlie Edmunds’ “The Post-Genetic Age of Language Evolution” and our CTO Dr. Ben Medlock and linguist Gretchen McCulloch’s “The Linguistic Secrets Found in Billions of Emoji”.
What are you most excited to hear about at SXSW this year? Let us know on Twitter!
Cheers,
Nicky and the Comms Team
The post SXSW Panel Picker: How ‘On Fleek’ and Other Slang Goes Viral appeared first on SwiftKey.
