Just Added…to the Dictionary…Are you a linguaphile? The definition is a lover of words. If so, check out the list below of new words added in 2008 to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Revised Eleventh Edition). Ø Agroterrorism (n.) terrorist acts intended to disrupt or damage a country’s agriculture. Ø Blowback (n.) the unintended adverse results of a political action or situation. Ø green audit (n.) an assessment of a business in terms of its impact on the environment. Ø Obesogenic (adj.) tending to cause obesity. Ø Plank (n.) a stupid person. Ø shoulder-surfing (v.) the practice of spying on the user of a cash-dispensing machine or other electronic device in order to obtain their personal identification number, password, etc. Ø upskilling (n.) teaching an employee additional skills. Who finds new words for the dictionary? Oxford employs about fifty readers whose jobs entail searching for new words in all types of print material not limited to novels, tv scripts, song lyrics, newspapers, and magazines. A word which appears five times, in five different printed sources, over a period of five years is eligible for addition to the Oxford English Dictionary. It is often clear long before the five-year period is up that a word is generally current and in popular use; in such cases the Oxford English Dictionary adds the word as quickly as possible. From: http://www.askoxford.com Just to put it in perspective, here are some words Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webstercollegiate.com/info/new_words.htm) has added through the years: Relax! The dirty bomb (1956) isn’t coming today. Stop worrying about malware (1990) and identity theft (1991) and take a mental health day (1971). Enjoy a chat with the barista (1982), sit by the infinity pool (1992), and be glad you aren’t that guy with a subprime loan (1995), a comb-over (1980), and a shopaholic wife (1983). Library resources for linguaphiles:
Online databases:
From the library homepage, select Online Reference Shelf in the red Find box and scroll to:
Books:
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