Creative expressions from the tech field

Can you believe that in mid-2009, the millionth word arrived in the English language?  Just how many words does one language need, you may well ask.  But like them or hate them, neologisms (a linguistic term for newly coined words) are all part of the ever-changing phenomenon that is language.

 I  am fascinated when I hear a new word, even if I choose not to add that word to my vocabulary. After all, a person of a certain age using words more suited for a newer generation may appear  as ridiculous as if they were sporting purple spiked hair and tats (tattoos to the uninformed).

Here are some of the new words and expressions that I have come upon recently from the field of technology.  Some have brought a smile to my face; others have given a name to an experience I have had; still others have made me think about changes in our society.

HACK.  I thought hacking and hackers were negative terms.  Aren't hackers often gaining illegal entry into computer systems and causing chaos and mayhem these days (like to Target shoppers?)? Recently though, I have noticed the term "hack" being used as a synonym for a tip or bit of advice, something to make life easier.  Sounds like something pretty positive to me.

    

TIP OF MY THUMB.  Linguists analyze "tip of the tongue" experiences in order to make predictions about how language is stored in the brain.  A little play on words results in  "tip of the thumb" experiences where you almost type something in a text message that you then think better of.  I haven't learned yet to text with my thumbs, but the expression brings a smile to my face.

GAMIFICATION.  My favorite web-based language learning tool is Duolingo.  And it is my favorite because it has been gamified, that is, constructed with some of the elements of a video game. Since video games were not part of my teenage years, I'm having fun playing with language and learning language at the same time.  Duolingo is so much more engrossing than memorizing those old-fashioned verb conjugations!

Duolingo Owl

BIGDATED.  Despite the fact that my son informs me that the concept of big data is widely misunderstood, I still think the invented term "bigdated" is useful for describing a common phenomenon - our interests expressed online being turned into ads by the Internet. How did someone know I was planning a trip to Scotland, I wonder?  Or that I may need to attend to crow's feet around my eyes? Some may find this practice intrusive. I  just consider it part of modern life.

CROWDSOURCING.  I like this term because the Internet has presented a new possibility in life to us.  Crowdsourcing refers to the generation of support and cooperation (including financial) for projects through the Internet.  The concept of strangers helping other strangers appeals to my sense of idealism.  I like the idea of cooperation on a gigantic scale that would not have been possible twenty years ago.

Are there new tech terms that have caught your eye?  Let's discuss! 

New words. Do you love them or hate them?

When you hear a new word in your language, do you have a reaction? Are you intrigued or offended by additions to language? Several readers of last week's blog chose the origin of words as an interesting subject, so this week I'll explore the topic of new words. (For language nerds, 'neologism' is the technical term for a new word.)    

What is a word really?  Although the definition of the word 'word' seems like a no-brainer, it is not a clear cut concept. We can visualize a written word in our minds, with the letters close together and a space before and after.  But in spoken language, words are often not separated by pauses.  If you have studied a foreign language, you may have experienced frustration because the oral stream of language is not neatly marked. How did I know, for instance, that in French 'Comma ta lei vu' (sic) was really 'Comment allez-vous?"  

Small children just learning their first language have a similar problem.  "Let's go bye-bye" probably sounds like one big word to them. As a matter of fact, in Swahili, the romantic sentence "I will love you" is 'nitakupenda', with a whole English phrase appearing as a word (to us, at least) in that language.

But we all have a working definition of 'word' at least. (We'll leave it to  linguists to provide an iron clad definition.) What is of more interest to me is the effect that new words have on speakers of that language.  I myself am delighted by new words.  It's a challenge to figure out how the word was formed.  Then it's intriguing to follow a new word to see if it is being widely used and by whom.

Take the new word 'selfie'.  It was named as the 2013 Word of the Year by the publishers of Oxford English Dictionary.  Click below for definition and more information about 'selfie'.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/18/word-of-the-year-2013_n_4296009.html

'Selfie' was formed by adding the suffix -ie to 'self''.  It sounds familiar, like 'hippie' and 'yuppie'.   Since I first became aware of  'selfie', I have heard it numerous times on  radio and TV.  I haven't encountered it yet in personal conversation, probably because my friends and acquaintances (myself included) are still trying to figure out how to take any type of picture using these new-fangled devices.  The Pope appearing recently in a 'selfie' probably did much to promote the new word.  I  recently heard a talk show host make a joke that people were now talking about 'ussies', cell phone pictures of more than one person.  

Do you see 'selfie' and similar new words adding to the richness of the language or depleting it?  I would love to hear your opinions on this important matter!