Changing times, changing contexts, changing meanings: language as a reflection of society

New words appear all the time, and in unprecedented circumstances like the present pandemic, it is to be expected that more new words then usual will be coined. But it is equally true that old words also change: whenever there are changes in their contexts of use, there are also changes in what they mean, sometimes with surprising results. This study investigates a brief account of the shifting meanings of vaccine over the course of the pandemic, focusing on how language, cognition and society mirror each other, forcing even old words to convey new meanings.