Word-Chaser

*(with Kyveli Vezani)

“Word-Chaser” is was an interactive online application, that tracks, follows and maps the evolution of new coined words and phrases from their early stage to their global spread.

(project ended in 2018)

We asked users to submit instances when they hear a new word (not new to them, but new to the language), and the place where they heard the word. The end result was an interactive, evolving map that visualizes how the use of new words or phrases spread from one place to another. As language is a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist. Word Chaser was not only a linguistic tool that helped trace the etymology of new words, but also a description of the cultural character of different neighborhoods.