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 |
[...] telling the editor of this space what you think needs to change on TFP for you (or someone you have unfriended) to visit and to participate more frequently. (3) In the case of either 1 or 2 above, you provide [...]
[...] 2009 by Shaun Weston The forward-thinking lexicographers of Oxford Dictionary recently announced the success of ‘unfriend’ as its Word of the Year 2009. How apt considering the successful uptake of social networking in our [...]
news 22 Nov 2009 When the Oxford English Dictionary acknowledges some word, you know that the situation that created that word has some force.
[...] More here Read Comments (0) [...]
@Karl: Thanks for bringing up the dual root thing with “un-” but in the case of “unfriend” I’m not sure it matters too much. The gloss appears to point to the word being used primarily as a verb and the general meaning of “taking a friend away” seems implicit – irrespective of where the “un-” comes from. As some pointed out, in the sense of “opposite,” the word “unfriendly” is more apposite
Otherwise it is, as you elegantly remind folks, more reversative.
[...] probably thousands of times a minute even now. The unfriending (which, by the way, was pronounced Top Word of 2009 by the Oxford New American Dictionary, and is now accepted as a verb), while less common, is an [...]
You left out OBAMASESSION…to define my obsession with obama
[...] finally happened: social media has risen to the top of our everyday terminology. The New Oxford American Dictionary just announced “unfriend” as its 2009 Word of the Year. That’s right: unfriend (verb) [...]
[...] Oxford’s recent announcement of its Word of the Year (unfriend), Merriam-Webster has revealed it [...]
[...] New Oxford American Dictionary announced today on its blog that the 2009 Word Of The Year is “unfriend.” Unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a [...]
[...] Perhaps in a sign of how the plague of social media has numbed us all to the value of legitimate human connections, the New Oxford American Dictionary has picked the verb “unfriend,” or “to remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook,” as its 2009 Word of the Year. [...]
Doubtless and definitely “DEfriend”
[...] the crowning of the word “unfriend” as the New Oxford American Dictionary’s word of the year, it got us at Nine Point Ten thinking [...]
[...] the good folks at the New Oxford American Dictionary named “unfriend” its word of the year earlier this week, they likely had no idea they’d initiated the fiercest lexicographical [...]
This word “unfriend” have been getting very popular and commonly used in the social networking websites. I decided to unfriend a few people in my facebook today, because I don’t think I really know them
[...] It’s Oxford’s 2009 word of the year. On Oxford’s OUPblog, Senior Lexicographer Christine Lindberg explains, “In the online social networking context, [...]
[...] sa version française comme: « supprimer la connexion avec quelqu’un« . Le dictionnaire Oxford a aussi mis de l’avant les mots Hashtag (qui désigne sur Twitter le signe # ajouté avant un [...]
[...] thinks that the ‘word of the year’ being unfriend is a bit dull. If you’re going down the road of New Digital Hyped Bang on [...]
[...] has been awarded the Oxford word of the year 2009. You can see many people asking in forums in Facebook asking ‘How do i unfriend [...]
Rather than “unfriend”, “defriend” definitely has a nicer ring, “befriend”/”defriend”!!!
My vote goes to “tramp stamp” if I have to choose from that list above.
[...] 29, 2009 Filed under: smart stuff — Meg @ 11:59 pm Tags: linguistics, WOTH Each year the New Oxford American Dictionary chooses a new word of the year. The word is something that symbolizes the happenings, or social [...]
Heavens to Betsy!! What if “soda” were the word of the year? Some of us would be saying, “Well this term *actually* refers to ’several different, but similar, sodium carbonates,’” and the rest would be debating whether the correct term was “soda” or “pop.”
Or what if the word was “reiterate?” How many people would like to show off how intellectual they were for that one?
I’m with the curmudgeons.
[...] Twitterisms et Obamarisms ont été recencés sur le OUPBlog de l’Oxford University Press. Voici les choses à mettre dans votre panier d’achat avant d’aller payer avec les sous d’une [...]
[...] Λέξεις Οι λέξεις της χρονιάς σύμφωνα με το Global Language Monitor και σύμφωνα με το New Oxford American Dictionary. [...]
[...] oplevelser og fotos med dem – men kun deltage i de fora, der giver reel værdi for os. ’Unfriend’ blev valgt til årets nye ord i 2009 af New Oxford American Dictionary, og i 2010 vil vi slette [...]
My personal favorite:
Kinkorati (Kink’orati) = The New York and Los Angeles types who dabble in silk scarves and ropes in the bedroom.
[...] jr.), se pare ca multe s-au schimbat de atunci. Google, Facebook si Twitter sunt la putere, iar Oxford Dictionary a nominalizat unfriend drept cuvantul anului. Cele mai multe neologisme “de grup” au ca [...]
[...] for the New Oxford American Dictionary 2009 Word of the Year? Check out the list below. Source: Oxford University Press Blog. Share and [...]
[...] words of 2009 01Dec09 The Oxford English Dictionary has named unfriend its word of the year, beating out sexting (the sending of sexually explicit text messages), [...]
[...] maand wees de New Oxford American Dictionary bijvoorbeeld als Word of the Year 2009 aan: unfriend. (Je “ontvriendt” iemand als je ze schrapt als “vriend” op een netwerkwebsite als Facebook [...]
[...] “Twitter” was the fastest rising Google search in 2009 and made Google’s global list for the first time ever. (Twitter was also named the word of the year by the Global Language Monitor. The Facebook-inspired term “unfriend” was Oxford English Dictionary’s choice.) [...]
Re: Teabaggers: A tempest in the resting place of the Dormouse. An unfriendly bunch, however, if you attend one of their gatherings [brewings?] and are not of their political and evangelical persuasion. They can be quite nasty and often bring firearms to meetings. One wonders why.
MadHatter
[...] Word of the Year selections by New Oxford American Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and other word watchers, The Global Language Monitor has announced its Top Word [...]
[...] experiences in PNW as oral history”—the next thing I would do is to suggest I might “unfriend” [...]
[...] Twitter has become the great example of the realistic social networking next step in that there is nothing beyond the 140 characters that can be shared. It is the bare bones of the information and possibly a link to a new site, in some ways confirming Pew’s findings that although people still prefer to connect in a face-to-face fashion, there is a growing realization that social networking is effective for exactly what it suggests rather than igniting a more close and meaningful friendship connection with others. Not necessarily knowing your contacts very well on Twitter allows a certain openness that is crucial to, perhaps, Twitter’s greatest reward, serendipitous discovery – the adjustment of this feature caused an uproar on the microblogging site earlier in the year. With more young people using intentional misspellings with leetspeak or lolspeak even as far as using exclamation marks with a few number 1s purposefully inserted when ending the group (!!!!11), indicating an excitedness that is usually conveyed with such haphazard typing mistakes, it could be suggested that there is possibly an increasing awareness of the internet’s impact upon society as digital becomes a less separate reality for young people. It is perhaps no coincidence then that the New Oxford American Dictionary has named ‘Unfriend’ as its word of 2009. [...]
Hahaha, wow. How come as soon as it comes to politics, everyone goes loopy? Goodness. Petty insults because of someone’s beliefs? People can protest what they want, why get bent out of shape because they want to carry signs and shout chants? And for the sign-carriers; why care if some snide wanker wants to show how low he can be by using public media to pay a backhanded insult to your cause? Don’t let them get a rise out of you; instead ask yourself if you’ve ever used derogatory language about someone else because of their political affiliations, and think about how you could have expressed yourself more constructively, and ultimately more persuasively.
Language is not static. It changes diachronicaly and synchronicaly in response to the cultural context. The Urban Dictionary’s definition of “teabagger” has changed since last time I looked up the same term earlier this year. Prescriptively, the word has a derogatory sexual connotation. Descriptively, it’s taken on a new meaning associated with politics. If/as more people start to favor the latter meaning, the word will take on a different meaning. Language change is fascinating!
Quote: “… As in, ‘I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.’…”
UNFRIEND: Does that include Murdering your Roommate?
Retrieved by Pat Darnell and Amanda Knox
moopigwisdom.blogspot.com
Chris said :As for all the posters complaining about ‘teabagger’ and even going so far as to say it somehow has the same negative meaning as a racial epitaph, @Buck Turgidson is correct. The term wasn’t used by other media outlets until after weeks of constant usage by organizers and Fox News correspondents. As usual you are now trying to rewrite history.
You’ll never get a job as a fact-checker. The term was not used constantly by organizers. A couple of lone placard holders at Tea Parties inspired lefties in the MSM to run with the smear. Read through these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_protests#Origins_of_Teabagging
hezz heaa
Twitter” was the fastest rising Google search in 2009 and made Google’s global list for the first time ever. (Twitter was also named the word of the year by the Global Language Monitor. The Facebook-inspired term “unfriend” was Oxford English Dictionary’s cho
itz great
The irate comments, which are equally priceless, conveniently overlook the fact that the movement’s leaders (including its cheerful advocate Fox News) popularized the use of the term “teabagger” to describe Tea Party participants–at least before they figured out it had a second meaning. Also, it’s incorrect to say that “teabagging”–the real one–is by definition a negative act. Like most sexual acts it can be a source of delight or revulsion, depending on the personal tastes of the participants. Instructions are available online, America. Mazel Tov.
Also, is Anderson Cooper openly gay? Openly adorable, sure, but I believe I missed his formal announcement on the matter. Wolf Blitzer’s beard is keeping a suspiciously coy silence as we
There is a massive change underway in the mobile media market as it becomes unshackled from the operators’ portals that have dominated it for a decade, all without having made any significant inroads into the content use of mobile users. The new capped data packages, fuelled by further competition, will see a total revamp of the mobile media market. It will no longer be based on portals but on direct services by content and services providers via open source phones and mobile-friendly Internet-based services. The next step is the continued emergence of m-commerce and in particular m-payment services.
[...] there you go. Have a look on the OUP Blog for a bit more info, i’m not entirely sold on the word myself but then they are the [...]
[...] By christophergeorge The Oxford University Press word of the year for 2009 is [...]
You crazy americans….it’s funny the things you’ll fight about.
I like being your neighbor, you guys are entertaining
[...] 3 תגובות אוהבים לסתום חורים ברשת? הצטרפו ל-RSS, לטוויטר או לדף הפייסבוק שלנו. אפשר גם במייל.אלה דברי הימים של הרשתות החברתיות: בראשית היו פייסבוק, מייספייס, ו"חבר’ה" – ששבו את ליבם של כל אלה שהתגעגעו לימי הזוהר של התיכון, היסודי והגנון. המשותף לכולן: הן חיברו אנשים זה לזה על בסיס "חברות". עם הזמן, יש לציין, המושג "חברות" הפך נזיל יותר, כש"חברות" ברשת חברתית נושאת עמה בדרך-כלל עצימות נמוכה יותר (ע"ע חבר פייסבוק), עד שהשנה המילה "אנפרינד" ("להפוך מישהו ל’לא-חבר’") הוכרזה כמילת השנה של אוקספורד. [...]
At the Internet Governance Forum in Sharm El Sheikh this week, there was a conversation on social networking data. Someone made the point that there are several different types of data, and it would be useful to separate them. This is my taxonomy of social networking data.
I have been chucklin’ about the use of the teabagging expression ever since the dumb republicans started using it to describe their movement. For my money, they not only deserve the name they pretty much embody it.
[...] http://blog.oup.com/2009/11/unfriend/ [...]
[...] are heaps more here. I can imagine when Twitter, Facebook, social networks and so on are left behind by the amazing [...]