There is no doubt that the Internet is affecting not only online language, but also how we speak. A thought that may send a shudder up the spine of old Internet users.

In a recent poll by Merriam-Webster, makers of the well known dictionary, users of their website voted "w00t" as the word of the year.   While this does not assure the inclusion of the word into the dictionary, it does put it up for consideration.  The second place word was "Facebook".

Seeing as the name of the popular social network came in second over at the better known dictionary site, it's not surprising a smaller company decided to just go ahead and include it.  The Collins English Dictionary is adding "Facebook" as both a noun and a verb in their next edition.  They are also updating the meanings of "pimp" (to make your profile page prettier) and "poke" (to get someone's attention on Facebook) to reflect the new vernacular.

While the English language is an ever-evolving creature, "w00t" worries me as it's always written with double-00's in place of the letter "o".  If we start adopting l33t speak ("elite speak" for those not familiar with it) into the language, it seems like a horrible muddying of the written word.

As for "pimp" being updated for Facebook specifically, that seems a bit of a marketing move more than anything.  With television shows such as "Pimp My Ride" and the term being used in connection with just about every social network, it seems a bit disingenuous to make it Facebook-specific.

At least "pwned" hasn't made it yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Entry was posted on Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 at 1:24 pm under Internet.  Print This Post