Los Angeles: “Pandora” from James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar has been adjudged the number one word from Hollywood that influenced the English language in 2009.

The list released by word analyst group Global Language Monitor saw “Hurt Locker” from The Hurt Locker, “Barley Pop” from Crazy Heart, “Vampire” from Twilight and “Squeakquel” from Chipmunks closely following “Pandora”. Rounding out the top ten were: “December 21st, 2012” from the film 2012, “Vichy” from Inglourious Basterds, “Her” from Star Trek, “Their’s but to do or die” from The Blind Side, and “Prawns” from District 9. Each year, GLM announces the top Hollywords in conjunction with the annual Oscar ceremony. The 82nd Annual Academy Awards was held on March 8 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.
“In 2009 the top word, “Jai Ho!” was from the other side of the planet; this year it’s from across the Galaxy,” said Paul J.J. Payack, GLM’s chief word analyst.
“In an especially rich year for language, we are also seeing a slang term for beer, a calendar date, perhaps, the first politically incorrect word for space aliens, and a neologism created for children.”
On Pandora, the GLM said: “There are 1,000 words in Na’vi language specifically constructed for Avatar, but the name of the alien planet is originally from classical Greek meaning ‘all blessings or gifts’.”
The Pandora’s Box myth has the first mortal woman opening a box that holds all the ills of the world, which inadvertently escape. A later version has all the blessings of the world escape except for hope, which remains.
     —PTI