For a guy who confessed to reading dictionaries for fun as a kid, having a word you created be acknowledged by a scholarly text might be the highlight of your life. For Eminem, this happened twice as Merriam-Webster has become the latest dictionary to acknowledge his influence.
On Tuesday, the popular dictionary announced that they will be adding the word "stan" to their groups of definitions as both a noun and a verb.
According to Merriam-Webster, a "stan" is defined as "an extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan" while "to stan" is "to exhibit fandom to an extreme or excessive degree: to be an extremely devoted and enthusiastic fan of someone or something."
Similar to what the Oxford English Dictionary did in 2017, the addition of "stan" to its collection of words is a nod to the character Eminem created in his 2000 song of the same title. In the track, Em paints a picture of a crazed fan obsessed with the rapper to the point he commits suicide. The eloquence and creativity of the record makes "Stan" one of Em's most popular songs to this day. This reception combined with Em's stardom led his fan base to start calling themselves stans in an effort to show their adoration for the artist. Over time the term began to morph into a phrase that can be applied to a steadfast fan of any artist, thus making the term able to be incorporated into the current lexicon.
Merriam-Webster's recognition comes exactly a month after the 19th anniversary of Eminem's classic album The Marshall Mathers, LP. Not only did this album help boost the rapper into superstardom, but it also features the track that sparked Merriam-Webster's newest addition.
Sticking with the theme of nostalgia, Eminem is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough album The Slim Shady LP by offering his fans a chance to purchase some exclusive merch inspired by the project on Friday, April 26.
