Article published November 25, 2009
Unfriend a foe
IN A nod to the tech-savvy times, a term known well to Facebook users has been declared the word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary.
But will "unfriend" - meaning to remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site - find lasting relevance beyond its online context as a modern verb, or will it be deleted along with passing technological trends?
Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer for Oxford's U.S. dictionary program, believes the word "has both currency and potential longevity" in the social networking context. The dictionary's publisher, Britain's Oxford University Press, even seemed partial to techno-terms when choosing the top word from finalists that included "intexticated," which describes people distracted by texting while driving, and "sexting," sending sexually explicit material by cellphone.
But other novelty words in the running for word of the year came from political or current affairs with standouts such as "birther," meaning conspiracy theorists challenging President Obama's U.S. birth certificate, and "choice mom," meaning a person who chooses to be a single mother. Also making the short list was "funemployed," referring to people using their newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests. Nothing like being aggressively upbeat.
Yet lest we offend those who "unfriend" as naturally as they search for "tweets," the 2009 word of the year is certainly as interesting as they come.
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