"Retweet" and "Cyberbullying" Get in the Oxford Dictionary

The word retweet, cyberbullying, and sexting now entered into the dictionary Concise Oxford Dictionary Home latest issue. These words add to the ranks of the vocabulary collected from the virtual domain after some googling the word entered the dictionary as well.

The 12th edition dictionary born in 1911, includes 400 new words from a total of 240,000 words in it, including the terms of the technological and social trends.

Definition of this century-old who is now also include the word woot (commonly used in electronic communications to express joy, enthusiasm, or a victory) and jeggings (combination of leggings and jean). There is also marconigram (wireless messaging), kinematograph (device to produce moving images), and biplanes (the plane with two sets of wings).

Retweet the word itself is widely used in the virtual domain, which is a verb which means to continue the message on the microblogging service Twitter. Sexting means sending a message of sexual nuances, while cyberbullying means using technology to intimidate or interfere with communication.

Concise Oxford Dictionary Home Dictionary compiled by two brothers Henry and George Fowler. His first edition was made at their cottage in Guernsey in 1911, contains the word blouse (work shirt made of linen loosely shaped) and the frock (monk robes). New words were added over the times. Selection of words is done by picking up certain words from the website and other written materials, and then stored in a database that contains 2 billion words. Vocabulary included in the dictionary are words that are believed to frequently appear in various sources.

"That's how a dictionary," said Angus Stevenson, editor of the Oxford dictionary. "We gather as much evidence as possible so we know that the word is not only used by few people and will not be destroyed. So there's no discussion panel of cabinet ministers or something like that to define new words."

Internet and social media have great influence in the emergence of new words and spread quickly. "For example, woot, I personally do not use it, but it did not matter. Initially cheering someone on Facebook, then their friends see it, and the word spread," said Angus.

Angus added that the new words reflect the community and at what age they are included in the dictionary. "We've put surveil-a verb that means making a person or place under surveillance. Our society must increasingly observed and supervised, people do feel it. So it's a common word for the present," said Angus. (National Geographic Indonesia / Ni Ketut Susrini)