‘Veganuary’ has been listed as one of Oxford Dictionaries’ ‘words of the week’.
Veganuary – a charity which encourages people to try a vegan diet during January – has seen staggering growth in the years since it launched in 2014.
A few thousand people took part that year – growing to a staggering 160,000 plus in 2018.
‘Busy start’
According to a spokesperson: “Word-wise, 2018 is already off to a busy start. On our second Word Watch of the new year, we have vegan blends, gobsmacking cookery, spineless libraries, and an early candidate for Euphemism of the Year.
“In the new year, many of us resolve to follow cleaner diets and healthier lifestyles.
“The past decade has witnessed the popularity of Drynuary, when participants dry out, i.e., abstain from alcohol, for the month of January, for a ‘post-holiday cleanse’. “
Veganuary
They added: “Another trend – and blend – on the rise is Veganuary, or going vegan for the first month of the year.
“With well over 100,000 pledgers into its fourth year, the organization explains Veganuary is pronounced ‘vee-gan-uary’, despite temptations to stress the second syllable to make the coinage better accord with our pronunciation of January.
Veganuary Co-founder Matthew Glover said: “Looks like we’ve officially invented a word.”