"w00t" crowned word of year by U.S. dictionary

[mawilson 2,133]

BOSTON (Reuters) - "w00t," an expression of joy coined by online gamers, was

crowned word of the year on Tuesday by the publisher of a leading U.S. dictionary.

Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster Inc. said "w00t" -- typically spelled with

two zeros -- reflects a new direction in the American language led by a generation

raised on video games and cell phone text-messaging.

It's like saying "yay," the dictionary said.

"It could be after a triumph or for no reason at all," Merriam-Webster said.

Visitors to Merriam-Webster's Web site were invited to vote for one of 20 words

and phrases culled from the most frequently looked-up words on the site and

submitted by readers.

Runner-up was "facebook" as a new verb meaning to add someone to a list of

friends on the Web site Facebook.com or to search for people on the social

networking site.

Merriam-Webster President John Morse said "w00t" reflected the growing use of

numeric keyboards to type words.

"People look for self-evident numeral-letter substitutions: 0 for O; 3 for E; 7 for T;

and 4 for A," he said. "This is simply a different and more efficient way of

representing the alphabetical character."

One Web site, www.thinkgeek.com, already sells T-shirts with the word "w00t"

printed on the front.

"w00t belongs to gamers the world over. It seems to have been derived from the

obsolete 'whoot' which essentially is another way to say 'hoot' which itself is a

shout or derisive laugh," Think Geek said on its Web site.

"But others maintain that w00t is the sound several players make while jumping like

bunnies in Quake III," it added, referring to a popular video game.

Online gamers often replace numbers and symbols with letters to form what

Merriam-Webster calls an "esoteric computer hacker language" known as "l33t

speak." This translates into "leet", which is short for "elite".

A separate survey of words used in the media and on the Internet by California-

based Global Language Monitor produced a different set of winners on Tuesday.

"Hybrid" took top honors as word of the year with "climate change" the top phrase.

Global Language Monitor, which uses an algorithm to track words and phrases in

the media and on the Internet, said "hybrid" had broad connotations of "all things

green from biodiesel to wearing clothes made of soy to global warming."

Runner-up was "surge," based on the "surge" of 30,000 extra U.S. troops deployed

to Iraq since mid-June, followed by the word "Bluetooth," a technology used to

connect electronic devices via radio waves.

"The English language is becoming more and more a globalized language every

year," said Global Language Monitor president Paul Payack, noting that this year's

list included words also culled from India, Singapore, China and Australia.

Source

[Jenn! 918]

"People look for self-evident numeral-letter substitutions: 0 for O; 3 for E; 7 for T;

and 4 for A," he said. "This is simply a different and more efficient way of

representing the alphabetical character."

...known as "l33t

speak." This translates into "leet", which is short for "elite".

I'm failing to see the increase in efficiency.

[*julez* 124]

Personally, I think it's sad to see the great efforts being made to "dumb down" the written English language.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

Personally, I think it's sad to see the great efforts being made to "dumb down" the written English language.

English is, in general, a dumb language to begin with.

[mawilson 2,133]

Personally, I think it's sad to see the great efforts being made to "dumb down" the written English language.

English is, in general, a dumb language to begin with.

Only if used by a dumb person.

[*julez* 124]

Personally, I think it's sad to see the great efforts being made to "dumb down" the written English language.

English is, in general, a dumb language to begin with.

Only if used by a dumb person.

I concur.

[Sinergy 3]

Personally, I think it's sad to see the great efforts being made to "dumb down" the written English language.

English is, in general, a dumb language to begin with.

Only if used by a dumb person.

[SteveLaura 0]

Personally, I think it's sad to see the great efforts being made to "dumb down" the written English language.

English is, in general, a dumb language to begin with.

Only if used by a dumb person.

That's a misunderestimation...ism....

[polarbear 0]

I grew up on these terms as part of a sub-culture, and now 10 yrs later it's gone main stream.... it used to just be for teen computer geeks

[Peikko 1,575]

I'm biting, why is English a 'dumb' language? In relationship to what? Using what criteria? What's an 'intelligent' language if English is a 'dumb' one?

I'm curious.

[jundp 191]

Sadly I've had to learn l33t in order to teach high school English. We do some interesting things with it in my Creative Writing classes though.

Anyone seen this: http://uninteresting.myby.co.uk/noeffort/romjul.htm

Pretty funny actually

[Jenn! 918]

I grew up on these terms as part of a sub-culture, and now 10 yrs later it's gone main stream.... it used to just be for teen computer geeks

This stuff was around 10 years ago?? Wow.

[Alex+R 0]

I grew up on these terms as part of a sub-culture, and now 10 yrs later it's gone main stream.... it used to just be for teen computer geeks

This stuff was around 10 years ago?? Wow.

Oh definitely. My friend's boyfriend freshman year of high school used to call his friends the 733T squad or however you spell leet.... today he is still a douche who uses those terms.

[Reynaldo 0]

Oh definitely. My friend's boyfriend freshman year of high school used to call his friends the 733T squad or however you spell leet.... today he is still a douche who uses those terms.

Jack Osbourne?

[Alex+R 0]

Oh definitely. My friend's boyfriend freshman year of high school used to call his friends the 733T squad or however you spell leet.... today he is still a douche who uses those terms.

Jack Osbourne?

Yup that's the one. (The guy looks like Jack Osbourne.)