Welcome to 2011 – a world in which 'retweet', 'cyberbullying' and 'sexting' are now officially words.
The news comes with the release of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary's twelfth edition and other new words are 'woot'
(used in electronic communication to express elation, enthusiasm, or
triumph) and 'jeggings' (a cross between leggings and jean).
There are 400 new words among 240,000
entries and technology and social trends feature heavily, just as
they did in the first edition in 1911.
Then, new words included 'marconigram' (a wireless message), 'kinematograph'
(equipment producing moving pictures), and 'biplane' (an aircraft with two
sets of wings).
Now 'retweet' (to forward a message on Twitter), 'sexting' (to send sexually explicit messages by mobile phone) and 'cyberbullying' (to use communications technology to intimidate or harass) are in the book.
'Mankini' – the one-piece male bikini popularised by Sacha Baron Cohen's character Borat – has also made the cut.
Henry and George Fowler, who were brothers, compiled the first edition in
their cottage in Guernsey.
The 1911 dictionary includes 'blouse' (then a
workman's loose linen garment) and 'frock' (a monk's gown). Cancan was
described as "an indecent dance" while neon is defined as "a lately
discovered atmospheric gas".
