Oh What A Tangled Web 2.0 We Weave...

So now we're talking about language.   {To find out what I mean by that statement, click *HERE* and try to follow along...}


I find it very interesting how the topic has morphed to the subject of the English Language considering that on June 10th the English Language added its one MILLIONTH word!

Oddly enough however, the one millionth word is not a word at all! It is "Web 2.0". Seriously, check out this link -->  Web 2.0

 A very simple explanation of Web 2.0

Now, "Web two dot oh" seems suspiciously like four words to me, but I'm not a mathmetician like this guy...

 

Attention:  Math Is HARD!

 (The above image, and some with carnivorous flowers [sweet!] can be found at Msr. Chelariu's website: http://www.serbanchelariu.com)

Still, at some point after nap time but before recess (Ferndale High School, Junior Year), I remember learning to count to four so I think I may be right about this one. 

Come to think of it, there are a lot of "new words" in our language that are not exactly words:

• N00b (# 999,998):  Someone new, and sucky, at playing a particular game.
• Carbon Neutral (#999,995):  An Inconvenient tribute to Al Gore
• Zombie Bank (#999,986):  A bank that would be dead if not for a government bailout

For the record:

• N00b is two letters and two numbers!  Perhaps it should be pronounced "Nzerozerob" or "Ndoubleoughtb"!  Spell it "n-o-o-b" and maybe we can talk!
• Carbon Neutral is just two words, one right after the other!  Like this.
• Zombie Bank is also two consecutive words, but one of them is "zombie" so it's at least a little cool.  As long as George Romero gets a cut.

Now I'm all for expanding the language, but one TV commentator (useless Talking Head!) decried our habit of simply appropriating words from other languages into our own (taco, domo arrigato, Mr. Roboto, farfegnuggan, etc.) which for some reason got my Chica's goat!  She was particularly animated on the topic and said (rather loudly and with just a touch more righteous indignation than I thought was absolutely necessary) that if we didn't absorb words like that, English would die off like Latin did!  (She had many reasons for that opinion which I am not bright enough to present here, so I'll just ask you to encourage her to spell it all out for you in a comment at the end of this post!  Thanks!)

So what do we do?  I actually like stealing words form other languages, as Chica does.  Mind you, I only do it to produce the illusion of intelligence, whereas Chica does it because she actually knows what the words mean.  (She's so zapato!)

But I also firmly believe we should continue to make new words, just with an eye towards making a little sense!  Here are a few good ones that have only come into the lexicon recently:

• Staycation: To take time off, but not go anywhere in order to save money.  What do you say to someone when they leave for their staycation?  "Non-Voyage!"
  
• Recessionista:  A person who wants to be trendy without spending much money.  We can thank them for the sudden resurgance of wool-topped boots and capri pants.  Jerks.
  
• Spyware:  Programs that collect data on you without your knowledge as you work on your computer.  Hopefully the spyware authors are listening right now as I call them A BUNCH OF WORTHLESS TURDS!!!!!
  
• Frick:  An excellent, and FCC-Approved version of a nasty word your mom would wash your mouth out for saying!  It's Frickin' great!
• Japanamation:  A specific style of animation imported from Japan.  Also called Manga, or "Those cartoons with the kids with the really big eyes who can all jump, like, a hundred feet and can only make an 'O' shape with their mouths".
  
• Stalkerazzi:  The scummiest of photographers who set up in Tina Fey's apple tree for seven days at a time living on Slim Jim's and Monster energy drinks praying she'll bend over in front of her window so they can sell a picture of her butt!  Then they run her off the road on the way to work so they can take pictures of her "horrible accident".  Scumbags!
  
• Blog: This thing!  Right here!  You're reading one!  (Sadly, "blog" is still struggling for acceptance as a word as it is not included in many spellcheck dictionaries.  For more on this topic, go waaaaaayyyyy back *HERE*.

Of course, some of these words may find themselves abandoned in time, but the good ones will be with us for awhile.  In 1806, the following words were new to the dictionary (click *HERE* for proof!):

• Americanize
• Whisky
• Nutrient
• Immigrant
• And the ever-popular: deliquesce

Words.  I love words!  Heck, I've even named myself after them!  So I say let's get cracking on the next million words!  I'll start us off!

Progring:  The inevitable progression of a conversation among two or more bloggers, as it is followed by the unfortunate family members of said bloggers who are emotionally trapped into reading their meaningless drivel.

- Sage Words