Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer, Professor of English and Digital Linguistics at the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany, set out to investigate this phenomenon.
Her paper, entitled “The impact of Star Wars on the English language: Star Wars-derived words and constructions in present-day English corpora,” sheds light on the integration of terms from the “Star Wars” universe into the English language.
Drawing on a wide range of textual databases, this analysis reveals how words such as “Jedi,” “Padawan” and “Lightsaber” have transcended their cinematic origins to become firmly established in everyday language.
“If the relative proportions of use in the categories are considered, we find that ‘to the dark side’ leads with more than 50 % innovative uses, followed by ‘Padawan’ and ‘Yoda’,” the study explains.
By examining the frequency and context of use of five specific “Star Wars” terms, the study demonstrates their adoption not only in informal conversations but also in more formal contexts.
For example, “Jedi” has evolved into an adjective used to describe expertise in a variety of fields, from technology to politics.
“Many of the uses can be considered metaphorical extensions of the original meaning or reference; for example, when ‘Yoda’ is used to refer to a mentor or wise expert, or when ‘Jedi’ is used for a skilled person and ‘Padawan’ for someone who is being taught a lesson.
‘Lightsaber’ stands out in this respect as the only physical object with many uses referring to battles with toys, and ‘to the dark side’ as part of a construction with an introductory verb that expresses a change to a state that is evaluated (or known to be evaluated) as less virtuous,” the study states.
This linguistic phenomenon underlines the profound impact of popular culture on the way people communicate.
“Star Wars” terms are now used to express complex concepts succinctly and figuratively, reflecting the way in which popular culture can enrich language: “With a total of 7,752 uses in the corpora under consideration, one may draw the conclusion that Star Wars-derived words and constructions are frequent enough to constitute a relevant phenomenon for general English,” the study reads.
The analysis also highlights the metaphorical use of these terms, underlining their flexibility and ability to adapt to different contexts and shades of meaning.
In this way, the influence of “Star Wars” extends far beyond the realm of entertainment to take root in our linguistic heritage.
The linguistic impact of Star Wars reveals not only the scope of this cinematic franchise, but also the living dynamics of the English language, which is being constantly reshaped by cultural influences.
“We can therefore conclude from the corpus study that Star Wars has not only had an important and still ongoing impact on popular culture but also on the English language, in the sense that a substantial number of words and constructions from a galaxy far, far away have already become an established part of the English vocabulary,” concludes the paper, published by De Gruyter Mouton in the Linguistics Vanguard journal.