A new patent, which was granted in February, shows that Facebook is working on new software that will scan the social networking site for emerging slang and nicknames. Those terms will then be entered into a “social glossary” for further analysis.

The patent shows that the site is on the hunt for neologisms - new pieces of language - that are frequently used within a small group of people and aren’t quite mainstream yet.

Facebook’s aim is to catch repeated instances of these slang terms and cross-reference them to be sure it’s not a phrase that’s already widely used. If it’s new, the term will make its way to the glossary.

via GIPHY