Oxford Word of the Year 2009: Unfriend
Birds are singing, the sun is shining and I am joyful first thing in the morning without caffeine. Why you ask? Because it is Word of the Year time (or WOTY as we refer to it around the office). Every year the New Oxford American Dictionary prepares for the holidays by making its biggest announcement of the year. This announcement is usually applauded by some and derided by others and the ongoing conversation it sparks is always a lot of fun, so I encourage you to let us know what you think in the comments.
Without further ado, the 2009 Word of the Year is: unfriend.
unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.
As in, “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”
“It has both currency and potential longevity,” notes Christine Lindberg, Senior Lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary program. “In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year. Most “un-” prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar “un-” verbs (uncap, unpack), but “unfriend” is different from the norm. It assumes a verb sense of “friend” that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal.”
Wondering what other new words were considered for the New Oxford American Dictionary 2009 Word of the Year? Check out the list below.
Technology
hashtag – a # [hash] sign added to a word or phrase that enables Twitter users to search for tweets (postings on the Twitter site) that contain similarly tagged items and view thematic sets
intexticated – distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle
netbook – a small, very portable laptop computer with limited memory
paywall – a way of blocking access to a part of a website which is only available to paying subscribers
sexting – the sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by cellphone
Economy
freemium – a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, with the aim of enticing users to pay for additional, premium features or content
funemployed – taking advantage of one’s newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests
zombie bank – a financial institution whose liabilities are greater than its assets, but which continues to operate because of government support
Politics and Current Affairs
Ardi – (Ardipithecus ramidus) oldest known hominid, discovered in Ethiopia during the 1990s and announced to the public in 2009
birther – a conspiracy theorist who challenges President Obama’s birth certificate
choice mom – a person who chooses to be a single mother
death panel – a theoretical body that determines which patients deserve to live, when care is rationed
teabagger -a person, who protests President Obama’s tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as “Tea Party” protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773)
Environment
brown state – a US state that does not have strict environmental regulations
green state – a US state that has strict environmental regulations
ecotown - a town built and run on eco-friendly principles
Novelty Words
deleb – a dead celebrity
tramp stamp – a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman
Notable Word Clusters for 2009:
| Twitter related: Tweeps Tweetup Twitt Twitterati Twitterature Twitterverse/sphere Retweet Twibe Sweeple Tweepish Tweetaholic Twittermob Twitterhea |
Obamaisms: Obamanomics Obamarama Obamasty Obamacons Obamanos Obamanation Obamafication Obamamessiah Obamamama Obamaeur Obamanator Obamaland Obamalicious Obamacles Obamania Obamacracy Obamanon Obamalypse |
My two cents…I have never heard the word “unfriend”. I “defriend” people on facebook.
[...] See the other words up for the honorable distinction of being this year’s New Oxford English Dictionary word of the year. We wish they’d gone with “funemployed,” but what are you gonna do? Share and Enjoy: [...]
[...] http://blog.oup.com/2009/11/unfriend/ [...]
[...] I'm celebrating by unfriending some people right now! – Link [...]
[...] the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages and a frequent OUPblog contributor. In light of our Word of the Year 2009 announcement (WOTY) Ammon has taken a closer look at how WOTY is chosen. In the post below he [...]
[...] the good folks at New Oxford American Dictionary have once again picked their Word of the Year. And once again they have managed to be lame about it. This year’s word is [...]
Interesting that “defriend” scores fewer Ghits (Google hits) than “unfriend.” It also has a lower Yhit (Yahoo hit) and Bhit (Bing hit – as opposed to a ‘bong hit, which is very different).
Some months back, the UK’s Daily Telegraph was speculating on the candidates for the one millionth English word, and up there was”defriend,” not “unfriend.” The winner turned out to be the arguably unwordy “Web 2.0.”
There may be a geographical element to the use. Perhaps certain countries are more prone to defriend than unfriend; or perhaps certain regions within a country have a preference.
Whatever the numbers say, I’ll stick to defriending – unfriendly as that may seem.
[...] New Oxford American Dictionary vient de désigner le mot de l’année [...]
[...] you for telling lies”, you might think. But wait a minute, it’s true, check out The New Oxford American Dictionary if you don’t believe me. They are actually going to add it as Word Of The [...]
[...] is in Like every year, the New Oxford American Dictionary announces the Word of the year in November, and this year the honour goes to [...]
Umm, I believe the term is actually “de-friend”
I’ve never heard anyone use “unfriend”
If it’s any consolation to those (perhaps ridiculously?) offended by the term “teabagger”….at least you’re considered the one doing the teabagging rather than the one being teabagged (“teabaggee?”).
I’m just saying if you’re that sensative about the issue, maybe this little victory will help you turn that frown upsidedown!
[...] unfriend. Leave a Comment So, apparently people are freaking out a little bit that unfriend is the 2009 Oxford Word of the Year. I suppose that it is a little disappointing that we have to refer to Facebook in order to find new [...]
I’ve been active on social networking sites since long before they were called social networking sites (started off on LiveJournal in 2000) and I’ve used both ‘defriend’ and ‘unfriend’, but in different contexts. I would say ‘defriend’ when I do it to someone else, but ‘unfriend’ if I’m talking about someone doing it to me or a third party.
For example: ‘I had to defriend him, he was trolling my journal’ as opposed to: ‘then seven other people unfriended me, the bastards!’
I would (and have) also use the expression ‘remove from my flist,’ just to be wordy about it.
[...] to the Oxford University Press blog (which in itself is a quagmire), “unfriend” is the 2009 Word of the Year. Stiff [...]
“By and large the literature of a democracy will never exhibit the order, regularity, skill, and art characteristic of aristocratic literature; formal qualities will be neglected or despised. The style will often be incorrect, overburdened, and loose, and almost always strong and bold. Writers will be more anxious to work quickly than to perfect details. Short works will be commoner than long books…. There will be a rude and untutored vigor of thought with great variety and singular fecundity.”
- Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1840)
“The genius of democracies is seen not only in the great number of new words introduced but even more in the new ideas they express.”
- Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1840)
[...] Nevermind your 300 million members, Facebook. You have arrived after inspiring this year’s winner: unfriend. [...]
[...] Oxford Word of the Year 2009: Unfriend (OUPblog) [...]
Um…the word is “defriend”, not “unfriend”. You defriend someone on facebook…I have never heard a single person say “I unfriended someone.” Secondly…tea-bagging is not a reference to protesting Obama’s tax policies. It’s the derogatorism for the act of putting one’s own testicles in someones mouth. CNN perpetuated this term as an insult to these people…the word should not be added…unless of course the correct definition is going to be added.
It’s “defriend” and it’s so 2006…
You all need to get a life.
Using the term teabagger in regard to Obama’s stimulus package is more than a little suggestive.
And tea-baggers? It refers to participants in a sex act. It was satirically used to describe participants in anti-tax “tea parties” because it was making fun of these people (who were mostly unaware of the meaning.) It’s alternate meaning would only be used tongue in cheek or by an ignorant right winger who thinks it is a great name.
[...] The New Oxford American Dictionary chose the verb “unfriend” as its 2009 Word of the Year (WOTY) and defined it this way: “to remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.” The word “has both currency and potential longevity,” explained Christine Lindberg, Oxford’s senior lexicographer on the OUP Blog. [...]
[...] Unfriend was the New Oxford American Dictionary Word of the Year for 2009. [...]
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Milton Ramirez, Tracey Jones. Tracey Jones said: RT @tonnet: Which Is the Oxford Word of the Year 2009? – http://is.gd/4YpuT [...]
[...] of the universe. The New Oxford American Dictionary has picked the verb “unfriend” as its 2009 Word of the Year. - as in to remove someone as a “friend” from Facebook. Though ardent facebookers [...]
[...] blogue do New Oxford American Dictionary chama-se ainda a atenção para palavras compostas a partir de [...]
[...] November 19, 2009 by garydenness The English language is, always has been and always will be in a constant state of flux and evolution. Which is why the major dictionaries all have their annual Word of the Year unveiling. They showcase the new words that have entered common vocabulary over the last twelve months. This year the Word of the Year according to the New American Oxford Dictionary is ‘unfriend’. It is a verb, so the full form would be ‘to unfriend’, which occurs when you delete a friend from your account on a social network site. It’s gained particularly high use as a word on Facebook. The image below shows the other contenders who eventually lost out to ‘unfriend’. You can check out all the meanings for each word by clicking here. [...]
[...] comes the question of whether to defriend (or, according to Oxford, “unfriend,” but I’ll always be a [...]
[...] Not I, at least until I found The Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential’s link to my post about the New American Tea Party. Awwww! Beltway Confidential is finding her blog colleagues all shy and bashful for not noting earlier this week that “teabagger” was among the runners-up for this year’s New Oxford American Dictionary’s 2009 Word of the Year. [...]
[...] year’s winner is a word that everyone who frequents social media sites is familiar with – unfriend. That word has been popularized through Facebook where your followers are friends and any of those [...]
[...] Oxford Word of the Year is “unfriend” To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as [...]
[...] Year Earlier this week, the New Oxford American Dictionary unveiled "unfriend" as the 2009 Word of the Year, providing the following definition and application: unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a [...]
[...] New Oxford American Dictionary has chosen ‘unfriend’ as its word of the year. To ‘unfriend’ means to remove someone from [...]
[...] OUP blog USA http://blog.oup.com/2009/11/unfriend/ [...]
[...] är inte år 2009 slut, men New Oxford American Dictionary har redan utsett årets ord: “unfriend”, vilket betyder att man tar bort en vän på exempelvis Facebook. Det har skapat en debatt kring [...]
[...] the OUP blog explains “unfriend” means “to remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social [...]
[...] de amigos y cuyo significado solo se podía encontrar definido en sitios como Urban Dictionary ya es un término oficial para el NOAD. Fue seleccionado de una lista de palabras entre las cuales encontramos: hashtag, netbook, paywall, [...]
[...] said Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary program. In a blog post announcing the selection, Lindberg also said the word “has both currency and potential [...]
[...] de amigos y cuyo significado solo se podía encontrar definido en sitios como Urban Dictionary ya es un término oficial para el NOAD. Fue seleccionado de una lista de palabras entre las cuales encontramos: hashtag, netbook, paywall, [...]
[...] not a L4D reference), deleb (a dead celebrity apparently). A complete list is available on the Oxford University Press blog, if you want a bit of a [...]
[...] not a L4D reference), deleb (a dead celebrity apparently). A complete list is available on the Oxford University Press blog, if you want a bit of a [...]
[...] not a L4D reference), deleb (a dead celebrity apparently). A complete list is available on the Oxford University Press blog, if you want a bit of a [...]
[...] la “Word of the year 2009” è il neologismo unfriend*, ti chiedi se tutta questa tecnologia stia andando nel verso [...]
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Betsey Dalbeck, Networking Times. Networking Times said: New Oxford American Dictionary selects Word of the Year 2009 http://tr.im/FiTi other notable words: twitterhea, sexting, obamanation etc. [...]
[...] de amigos y cuyo significado solo se podía encontrar definido en sitios como Urban Dictionary ya es un término oficial para el NOAD. Fue seleccionado de una lista de palabras entre las cuales encontramos: hashtag, netbook, paywall, [...]
[...] you haven’t already heard, unfriend is the New Oxford American Dictionary Word of the Year. In honor of this announcement, I surveyed [...]
[...] “they dont see the point of.” I even have friends who have started to UNFRIEND (which is now an official word, and Oxford’s 2009 word of the year) people that they merely met once or had brief contact with and do not consider them close friends [...]
i love this brilliant word and i think it will be successfully word for ever …..