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 |
[...] technique is “unfriending”, which was the New Oxford American Dictionary’sWord of the Year for 2009 (actually it was [...]
[...] technique is “unfriending”, which was the New Oxford American Dictionary’sWord of the Year for 2009 (actually it was [...]
[...] Oxford Word of the Year for 2009 is [...]
[...] New Oxford American Dictionary announced its Word of the Year today and like everyone else, the organization is keeping an eye on the internet. Its selection? [...]
[...] New Oxford American Dictionary has chosen ‘unfriend’ as its word of the year. To ‘unfriend’ means to remove someone from [...]
[...] scorn on Oxford University Press for daring to include the word on their own words-of-the-year list without indicating that it was usually seen as [...]
[...] creatively however, the New Oxford American Dictionary 2009 Word of the Year was announced as 'unfriend'. They also gave a special mention to 'deleb' [a dead celebrity] and [...]
[...] Engels: unfriend (‘ontvrienden’) volgens New Oxford American Dictionary ophttp://blog.oup.com/2009/11/unfriend [...]
[...] why am I saying all this when the nomination of unfriend is clearly marked as the work of the Oxford American dictionary and “Oxford’s U.S. dictionary program”? Because [...]
[...] Read the entire article here. [...]
I love how the same leftists who snicker like schoolboys when they hear the word “teabagger” — and smugly claim that Tea Party protesters should just get over it — are often careful to use terms like “undocumented” instead of “illegal” and “progressive” instead of “liberal” … and squealed like Ned Beatty when conservative commentators made a point of saying, “Barack HUSSEIN Obama” during the 2008 presidential campaign.
Yeah, offensive words don’t matter at all, do they — as long as they’re aimed at someone you don’t agree with!
[...] more I think about it, the more I like it. I think you should unfriend me even though my spell checker doesn’t recognize the word [...]
[...] New Oxford American Dictionary announced their word of the year, “unfriend.” Webster’s New World Dictionary went with “distracted driving.” Here’s my list of the quintessential words of 2009: [...]
The Swedes have two words for “enemy”: “fiende” and “ovän”.The word “ovän” consists of “o-” [u:], which is the exact equivalent of “un-” in English. The word “vän” [ven] is the translation of the English word for “friend”.
Maybe that lies at the origin of this new English verb ” to unfriend” !
[...] "Unfriend" became the word of the year 2009, according to Oxford University Press USA. Oxford Word of the Year 2009: Unfriend : OUPblog Btw. my favorite on the list is "deleb", which is death [...]
[...] même que les mots de l’année des éditeurs du dictionnaire Merriam-Webster (to admonish) et d’Oxford University Press USA (to [...]
[...] (the author) and I got into an argument on one of his blogs (I forget which one), he has since unfriended me. So no more traffic from that source—this is no doubt a contributing cause to the downturn in [...]
[...] 31, 2009 by Wendy Peters Hashtags. They’ve made the list for 2009 word of the year from Oxford Dictionary. Okay, well individual hashtags have not, but as a term they sure have. [...]
[...] The New Oxford American Dictionary [...]
I’m stunned. In the first paragraph, you state:
” . . .the ongoing conversation it sparks is always a lot of fun . . .” Are you to sloven to define or say what “a lot” is? I recommend you ban the phrase “a lot”, which some writers now spell as “alot”, thinking it’s acceptable. If it’s always a lot of fun, then it’s got to be most unique!
[...] selection for Person of the Year was an individual no one was too happy about. The New Oxford American Dictionary’s word of the year was not a word associated with happiness, but as per usual, was very [...]
[...] I mean unfriend (*cringe*). The term “unfriend” by the way, made its way to be the 2009 Oxford Word of the Year. unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as [...]
[...] just passed. My word of the year is slightly different than the word ‘unfriend‘ which New Oxford American Dictionary decided on as word of the year 2009! It was pretty easy to find out. It has been all over the place throughout the year. It’s a [...]
[...] Yet, I admit there are some twists and turns of the English language that give me shivers. From hearing ‘innit’ as a universal question tag in my East London neighbourhood (We’re friends, innit?) to reading the New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word of 2009 (the verb, to unfriend). [...]
[...] Jump to Comments The Oxford English dictionary recently announced its new word of the year for 2009, unfriend. This was no doubt made popular by Facebook, where the act of “friending” and [...]
[...] that our 2009 year in review would be the last post of the year but then I saw this today: Oxford Word of the Year is “Unfriend”. Now granted, this is the Oxford American Dictionary which is a little more liberal when it comes [...]
[...] And guess what was 2009’s Word of the Year? [...]
[...] University Press offices. So the New Oxford American Dictionary released their choice for the 2009 Word of the Year. The winner was UNFRIEND. And the debate on whether “unfriend” or [...]
[...] And for what it’s worth, I heard that the term “unfriend” has been added to New Oxford American Dictionary and was THE Word of the Year in 2009. Read about it here. [...]
[...] gave us personalized, real-time and caffeinated search results. Social media went mainstream, “unfriend” became the word of the year, Twitter eclipsed Google as “the” verb and everyone noticed [...]
[...] Overigens was unfriend ook het woord van het jaar volgens de New Oxford American Dictionary. [...]
[...] fascinating barometer of tech 17 Nov 2009 The New Oxford English Dictionary has announced that 2009’s Word of the Year is unfriend. While it is perhaps not used as broadly as the newly-verbed friend, the latter is [...]
[...] their word of 2009 (even though the Oxford University Press already had already decided on ‘unfriend‘ — which are we to believe?!) Sexting failed to pick up the award for ‘most [...]
[...] last month, the Oxford University Press’s 2009 Word of the Year is UNFRIEND (as in, “She hit on my boyfriend at the company Christmas party, so I had to [...]
[...] their word of 2009 (even though the Oxford University Press already had already decided on ‘unfriend‘ — which are we to believe?!) Sexting failed to pick up the award for ‘most [...]
[...] That’s the reason why “unfriend” is the “Oxford Word of the Year 2009“. [...]
[...] New Oxford American Dictionary went for a word popularized by that other social media giant, and even provides a sentence using the [...]
[...] geleden kwam Burger King met een geniaal leuke virale campagne: De Whopper Sacrifice Challenge: Unfriend 10 Facebook vrienden, krijg een gratis Whopper. Het mooie van deze campagne was dat het prachtig [...]
[...] leenvertaling uit het Engels; daarin heet het defriend of unfriend. Die laatste variant werd het Oxford Word of the Year 2009. Want het woord heeft echt ‘lex-appeal’, aldus een lexicograaf van de uitgever. Het [...]
Um, trampstamp, really? That word has been around for quite some time. I don’t know how it could have been even considered for word of the year when it was coined probably 5-10 years ago. Makes me really question your credibility. Have you been living under a rock?
What’s the big deal? unfriend; defriend mean the same thing to me. New Oxford American Dictionary you got to be kidding (Defriend) PLEASE!!!!
[...] come in and buy stuff. The only thing those businesses are likely to get their customers to do is unfriend [...]
[...] The Oxford University Press (makers of the esteemed OED) has posted its Words of the Year list. [...]
[...] this year the word “unfriend” became a legitimate part of the English language (See the Oxford University Press blog), and I’m sure we’ve all heard it at some point. Yes, my friends, Facebook (and other social [...]
[...] Bad Economy–Bad New Words Whenever I see newly created words, I often think of Sherry’s recently invented word, funfaithful, because her contrived word is at least as good as these new economy words, which were discussed recently on the Oxford University Press USA blog: [...]
[...] 3 Stages of Unfriending by Kay January 21, 2010, 10:17 AM by Bing Staffing | 0 Comments The newly announced "winner" of the Oxford American Dictionary word of 2009 is “unfriend.” [...]
[...] behöver alltså inte unfrienda mig, [...]
Unfriend doesn’t even make sense!The prefix un means not.but de means to remove.so it should be defriend!!!!
[...] Word of the Year 2009 to unfriend: To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook. Source: Oxford [...]
[...] Annoying New Word–Intexticated New products and new technologies often need new words to describe them, but new technology can also be used as an excuse to create a new word when one is not needed. Intexticated is one such example, which, incredibly, was considered by Oxford as a potential word of the year. [...]