Merriam-Webster loses whatever it had as a mind

[Saist]

This is perhaps one of the most boneheaded moves I've ever heard of from somebody who makes a dictionary. In fact, it's so dumb, I'm not even going to bother linking to Merriam-Websters site. Instead, I'm going to link to the site where I heard about it first. UserFriendly : http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20071230

Merriam Webster has decided that their accepted word of the year is: w00t.

As in two zeros, not the letter O.

I haven't a clue how that managed to slip by, but I foresee several English professors excluding Merriam Webster as a language source, similar to how WikiPedia has been rapidly rejected in the educational sector.

[Reese Tora]

well, when you consider the purpose of a dictionary  to define words as they exist in a language, it follows that new words that have become part of that language would be incorporated in to it.

This saddens me that a leet speak version of the word is being used, but the inclusion of the word itself is not much of a surprise.

(no more surprised than seeing words like yahoo, eek, or the like)

Like it or not, English is a living language.

[Kasarn]

Well, maybe you should have linked to Mirriam-Webster's site.
http://www.m-w.com/info/07words.htm

From that, it seems like Word of the Year is chosen using an online poll and that w00t is in its Open Dictionary... which is basically Wiktionary.

[Vidar]

How long before l33t5p34k becomes an official language? Now that the word "w00t" is apperrantly acceptable it won't be long before teh l33t start haxxoring teh pl4n3t.

[Feroluce]

I sincerely  hope that that doesnt happen for a long time. Personally, I prefer my english readable.


also, since the english language as in a dictionary is written, the more extream forms of leet-speak words hopefully will not appear ever.

[Goatmon]

well, when you consider the purpose of a dictionary  to define words as they exist in a language, it follows that new words that have become part of that language would be incorporated in to it.

This saddens me that a leet speak version of the word is being used, but the inclusion of the word itself is not much of a surprise.

(no more surprised than seeing words like yahoo, eek, or the like)

Like it or not, English is a living language.

Pretty much.  Dictionaries exist to explain words as people use them, not just explain what words were meant to convey.  For that, you want a thesaurus. 

[rabid_fox]

I think "pwn" should enter the dictionary. We have no other word available to us that actually encapsulates the overall semantic field of meaning that "pwn" offers. Also, I like to stick two fingers up at language 'purists' when this sort of thing happens.

Think Nelson from the Simpsons, only with two University degrees in language.

[superluser]

Dictionaries have a long and storied history.  Early dictionaries were pretty sparse and gave words as the dictionary's author preferred to give them.  They told people how words ought to be used, not how they were used.

The first landmark dictionary is usually given to be Samuel Johnson's, which defines oats like the following:

A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people

This was an improvement on contemporary dictionaries, which tended to define it like the following:

A grain with which horses and other animals are fed

(Sheridan's dictionary actually came after Johnson's)

But Webster's 3rd International has been widely denounced (q.v.), leading to the American Heritage dictionary, now seen by many (most?) as the best dictionary of American English, and perhaps the best dictionary outside of the OED.

The AHD has very different standards, and usage notes are used to describe both how the words are used, and how linguists argue that they should be used.

[techmaster-glitch]

How long before l33t5p34k becomes an official language? Now that the word "w00t" is apperrantly acceptable it won't be long before teh l33t start haxxoring teh pl4n3t.

SHE WAS RIGHT!!!

[Alondro]

How long before l33t5p34k becomes an official language? Now that the word "w00t" is apperrantly acceptable it won't be long before teh l33t start haxxoring teh pl4n3t.

It'll happen in the future as the stupid French-Chinese think they own Hawaii!  The otters shall never stand for it!   

[rt]

Hmm how can I sum up my feelings about this
*consults the dictionary*

ahh .. W00T!

whaaat it's in the dicitionary 

[Jim Halisstrad]

...
Today is the greatest day, for my English Majoring friend is heading over here right now, and I'm going to share this with her.
Much lols will be had by me. 

[Sufurin Scorda]

If you're upset about that, Saist-y boy, you might not want to look at their page for RPG. (The one for the abbreviation)

[link]

Luckily everyone I know who knows I like RPGs knows that they're Role-Playing Games and not Rocket Propelled Grenades. It might be pretty weird talking to someone who thinks you like grenades and explosions, when you're really a harmless little nerd.

...Even though big booms are pretty awesome.

[superluser]

It might be pretty weird talking to someone who thinks you like grenades and explosions, when you're really a harmless little nerd.

Actually. I think that works in our favor.

...Well, not in my favor.  Did I ever tell you about the time I git thrown out of the Waffle Shop because someone thought that I was kidnapping her?

And I can't go to Thailand without risking getting confused with a murderer/rapist.

[Reese Tora]

If you're upset about that, Saist-y boy, you might not want to look at their page for RPG. (The one for the abbreviation)

[link]

Luckily everyone I know who knows I like RPGs knows that they're Role-Playing Games and not Rocket Propelled Grenades. It might be pretty weird talking to someone who thinks you like grenades and explosions, when you're really a harmless little nerd.

...Even though big booms are pretty awesome.

You mean RPG isn't a programming language for generating reports on an AS400?
(well, that's what the college I went to used to teach it... *shudder*)
(however's curious, it's short for Report Generating Program... I still have the text somewhere... I hope I never need to use it)

[Sufurin Scorda]

You mean RPG isn't a programming language for generating reports on an AS400?
(well, that's what the college I went to used to teach it... *shudder*)
(however's curious, it's short for Report Generating Program... I still have the text somewhere... I hope I never need to use it)

Yah, I guess. Webster just doesn't wanna say anything about it though. But still, Role Playing Game(s) seems way more used than Rocket-Propelled Grenade. And it was added to Webster months ago when they added new words, I think. So it's not uber old. About a year old I think. Maybe less.

I dunno why they couldn't've just used more than one abbreviation for it. And since they're adding w00t, an internet word, they should've used the more popular meaning for RPG, even though it's not necessarily an internet thing.

Actually. I think that works in our favor.

...Well, not in my favor.  Did I ever tell you about the time I git thrown out of the Waffle Shop because someone thought that I was kidnapping her?

And I can't go to Thailand without risking getting confused with a murderer/rapist.

Shouldn't've talked to a girl in the first place. They have cooties, you know.

[Sunblink]

I believe that Stephen Colbert said that they used the word "Truthiness" as their 2006 word of the year on his show. Correct me if I'm wrong.

So no, this didn't really surprise me. Nor do I find this a travesty and a bastardization of the oh-so-prestigious English language.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Kenji]

Well, what word was it they added to one of the dictionaries a while ago?
I think it was bootyliscious, but I'm not sure...

[Sufurin Scorda]

I don't know if bootylicious was added, but I know they added these:
- Ginormous (The one talked about most, I think)
- RPG (The one I ranted about a few posts ago)
- Crunk
- Mouse Potato
- Spyware
- Bling-bling

[More hur]

[superluser]

I know they added `imbiggen' to the dictionary.

(well, not so much `added' as ``It was always there.'')

[techmaster-glitch]

...- Bling-bling...

Foamy has some very strong thoughts on bling...

[GabrielsThoughts]

and L337  will fade into obscurity as the new Ebonics for Haxxorz...I like the word  Slanguage, I feel Slanguage should be the new gender neutral term replacing the word "One" which objectifies and demeans everyone.


[I'm not being serious.]