Werk

Historically the the word has been said to originate from the black gay community and has origins in the drag-queen community, then eventually the word ended up on Twitter as a popular slang term. Turner in their article on the word states that, “finding its origins in black gay culture, "you better werk" has become synonymous with RuPaul. The word by itself has extended to broader use, though its essential meaning is the same: a declaration of support or approval or ambition."

Essentially, using the word “werk” is supposed to be a sign of support, a way to congratulate talent, or acknowledge someone’s skills. There are plenty of other uses of the word but that is currently the most popular way to use it.  Most notably it is used in reference to dancing, modeling, sexual prowess and/or other physical performances that require a large amount of fiery attitude, vitality and vigor.”

What this says about our society as a whole is that language is ever changing. Throughout the decades, the centuries, humans have found thousands of ways to communicate with each other. Each new generation brings forth new slang terms and ways of speaking to each other that past generations might not be as familiar with. This new usage of the word “werk” just shows the versatility of language and communication and how quickly a slang word can travel from a small community to the mainstream lexicon.