The philologist explained the popularity of meme words on the Internet

Meme expressions and Internet formulas are increasingly becoming part of the language agenda and reflect changes in everyday digital culture. Words like "cocksucker" and "six-seven" may not have a strict meaning, but they spread quickly due to their emotional coloring and the ability to unite users of the same Internet environment. On September 2, philologist, linguist and comparative scholar Alyona Popova told Izvestia about this.

Memes as a part of modern language

According to the expert, the lists of words of the year include not only concepts that describe new phenomena, objects or technologies. Sometimes, meme formulas attract attention, the main function of which is to convey emotion, evoke a recognizable context and show belonging to a certain digital culture.

The power of such words lies not in the accuracy of the meaning, but in the sound, the absurdity of the image, and the ability to use them in jokes, comments, and quotes. In the meme environment, such expressions are often needed not for a literal explanation, but to convey a certain mood.

Why did the six-Seven become popular

Another example of Internet newspeak is the expression "six-seven". According to Popova, this is a borrowed digital formula that exists in several versions at once: six-seven, "6-7" and "six-seven".

However, the expression does not have one fixed value. It can be used as an ironic reaction, a sign of uncertainty, or simply as a signal that a person is familiar with a particular meme.

Semantic vagueness in this case does not prevent the spread of the word, but on the contrary, helps it to become a universal communication tool. The user can embed such a phrase in different situations, while maintaining a common cultural code.

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How social media accelerated the emergence of new words

Popova noted that the active development of Internet platforms has significantly accelerated language processes. Previously, new words took a long time to reach beyond a small group of people, but today just one viral video, a popular stream, or a series of short videos is enough.

Social networks work by constantly repeating and processing information. Users quote memes, modify them, shorten expressions and create new variants, so that individual words are quickly distributed to a wide audience.

According to the expert, the digital environment has become one of the main sources of language change, as it forms new ways of communicating and conveying emotions.

Modern Internet language often performs not only an informational, but also a social function. One short expression can replace a long explanation and convey irony, annoyance, surprise, or support. According to Popova, "puhosos" and "six-seven" work exactly this way: they help people keep in touch and show that the participants in the conversation understand the same cultural context. Such words also allow you to divide the audience into those who are familiar with a particular meme and those who do not understand its meaning.

Why do absurd words become popular

The expert stressed that the spread of such expressions is related to the peculiarities of modern Internet culture. It values absurdity, post-irony, and deliberate meaninglessness. The more difficult it is to explain a meme literally, the more it can unite people who know its origin and context.

According to Popova, the appearance of meme words in the lists of candidates for the "Word of the Year" does not indicate a deterioration in the language. On the contrary, it shows that language continues to react rapidly to changes in society and new media environments.

Such expressions may disappear after a few months, but they accurately capture the features of the time — the rapidity of digital communication, visual appearance, and the constant exchange of recognizable cultural codes.