In honor of Valentine’s Day I just received an email with selected poems for every relationship under the sun. As much as I enjoyed many of the poems, I was pleased to see that my Valentine Greeting, to the Oxford English Dictionary is one of a kind! The OED recently released its 2011 edition and 900 words gained membership in the most exclusive 300,000-word club in the world.
How does a new word gain entry into the esteemed Oxford English Dictionary?
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) printed its 20-volume edition (which I covet) in 1989 and launched its Internet version in 2000. Entry is gained only after a word or expression crosses over into everyday use, says the principal editor for new words.
Here are a few of the newest additions.
~ OMG!
~ LOL
~ IMHO
– BFF
~ Muffin top
– Wag
– TMI
– FYI
The 2011 edition finds the first graphical entry—The ‘heart’ symbol, which means love. — in the 127- year old history of the OED. Readers looking up for the word ‘heart’ will find the symbol listed as a verb meaning ‘to love’.
I love words so my next Valentine appropriately goes to Andrew Clements, author of Frindle. The story is about Nick, a fifth-grade boy who is trying to aggravate Mrs. Granger, a tough language-arts teacher, who invents a new word for pen: “frindle.” Mrs. Granger has a passion for vocabulary, but Nick’s (and soon the rest of the school’s) insistence on referring to pens as “frindles” annoys her greatly. The war of words escalates but the power of language triumphs. Frindle takes the subjects of vocabulary and the power of language to a new level— a “home run” book for sure!
