Tech Buzzwords Added to Dictionaries

Mark Owen writes "With technology buzzwords becoming so commonly used in daily life, Webster and Oxford have both begun to include some new terms in their latest editions. Some of their newest additions include: adware, biodiesel, codec, digicam, google (as a verb), geocaching, hacktivism, mash-up, rewriteable, ringtone, spyware, and texting."

Comments

'Texting' is a Noun?

[eldavojohn]

texting, n.

I thought 'texting' would be a verb. As in, "I just got an $1800 ticket for texting while driving" or "my teacher sent me to the principles office for texting during class."

Maybe I'm wrong, I'm a better ones-and-zeros-smith than a wrodsmith.

from the don't-forget-web20 dept.

What the hell is web-twenty? Is that the time of day when all the pot heads get off their asses and sit at their iMacs and work on their crappy Phish tribute GeoCities site with flying toasters and images of Jerry Garcia?

Re:'Texting' is a Noun?

[dereference]

I thought 'texting' would be a verb

Actually it's called a gerund, which is typically any noun made from appending "ing" to a verb. It's correctly a noun, as in, "Texting is fun."

Re:'Texting' is a Noun?

[The Fun Guy]

Maybe I'm wrong, I'm a better ones-and-zeros-smith than a wrodsmith.

Raelly? I never wuold have geussed.

or in the new vernacular

[yagu]

If you're looking these up in the new spelling dicshunaire referenced in this previous slashdot article (over 1000 posts!):

• adwear
• biodesel
• coedec
• dijicam
• googel
• jeocashing
• hactivisem
• mash-up (unchanged)
• reerietabel
• ringtoen
• spiewear
• tecsting

Re:or in the new vernacular

[Anonymous Coward]

Or for our more streetwise friends:
adwizzle, biodizzle, codizzle, digicizzle, googizzle, gizzlecaching, hacktivizzle, mizzle-up, rewriteabizzle, ringtizzle, spywizzle, and textizzle

Words in a dictionary?

[Bobsledboy]

Wait, so you mean to tell me that they are going to add new words into the dictionary? I for one am astounded.

What is this world coming to

[sprudel]

I spit on these so-called "buzz" words. Ringtone? My audiotelegraph gives me a notification signal, dagnabbit!

I for one welcome...

[Pasquina]

...the new words officially added to the English language.

google is my dictionary

[rucs_hack]

in 99% of cases where I need to know how to spell a word, I type it into google.

The 'did you mean' feature has yet to let me down.

I don't know if they intended this, but it's so reliable that my dictionary stays on the shelf these days, and I barely ever have to use online dictionaries, except when I'm trying to locate a precise definition of a word.

Re:Implications of Google as a verb?

[jeblucas]

Would this be correct?

No. A trademark used as a verb is not considered an infringement and does not (nor can it be) defended by the trademark holder. Google, the company, should defend against the use of its rademark as a noun, as in, "The Google of Porn" or something like that.

Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

[netsavior]

We were Texting it up all night, first I googled her codec, then I showed her my biosteel... just be sure to uninstall before you pixelate otherwise you will have a little nanobot to worry about. This method is sooo much better than mere self-storage. Just give her the ole chip and PIN that's what I always say. I look forward to our next mash-up


I think I just accidentally cybered slashdot. crap. it all happened so fast. I just hope whatever I got is screenable

Re:buzzwords

[viscount]

I can't wait for the day 'slashdot' is added to the dictionary.

And for the next day, when it will be added again...

Not the first time

[Anonym0us Cow Herd]

Other technical words have become common in English.

Lightbulb
Radio
Radar
Sonar
Sonic
Radiation
Electromagnetic
Radiator
Dishwasher
Dryer
Microwave
Television
Telephone
Software
Spreadsheet
Photoshop (as verb)
Internet
Modem

Because brand names that describe a unique concept tend to become generic words, that is why we see Google used as a verb. Common trademarks used as generic words: Aspirin, Kleenex, BandAid, etc. Therefore, you can expect to see new words like...

TiVo