OMG, the Oxford English Dictionary Added New Words! We ‘Heart’ It! LOL!

According to the OED, the newest edition of the dictionary revises more than 1,900 entries and includes a ton of new words — including the neologisms above.

So what do OMG and LOL mean to the OED? In the electronic realm, they’re merely shorthand for surprise and laughter. In the real-world space — according to the OED’s blog post — “The intention is usually to signal an informal, gossipy mode of expression, and perhaps parody the level of unreflective enthusiasm or overstatement that can sometimes appear in online discourse, while at the same time marking oneself as an ‘insider’ au fait with the forms of expression associated with the latest technology.”

The OED also reveals that these neologisms aren’t as neo as we might think: The first quotation the dictionary uses for the definition of OMG is from a letter dating back to 1917, and LOL meant “little old lady” back in 1960.

The heart sign (<3), however, is perhaps the most interesting addition. As the post says, “This update may be the first English usage to develop via the medium of T-shirts and bumper-stickers.”

One thing to keep in mind is that popular culture is major driver of new vocabulary. Once a word makes it in, it is never removed even if it becomes antiquated; the purpose of the OED is to exist as a comprehensive, living history of the language.

Exciting Changes to the Oxford English Dictionary Online

The OED is updated four times a year, every March, June, September, and December. The most recent edition published on 1 December 2010 revises more than 2,400 entries and adds new words from across the dictionary.

In addition to this there are some other very exciting features.

Windows on to words: This feature allows you to see images associated with the word.

In the news: the UN conference on climate change is held at Cancun, Mexico; anniversary events mark John Lennon's murder in 1980, while England and Australia battle for the Ashes: do you know your googly from your yorker?

Word of the Day: December's featured words include digital, de-stress, mistletoe, and hootananny. Sign up to Word of the Day or follow OED Online on Twitter.

Shapers of English: Robert McCrum considers P. G. Wodehouse's contribution to English.

English in use: Eleanor Maier looks at Watergate and the language of scandal.

Word Story: Michael Proffitt, the OED's managing editor, traces the Changing the Meaning of Information

Schott's Vocab Daily Lexeme: Ben Schott selects a daily entry from the OED online for his blog in the New york Times

Also included are links for students and teachers on using the OED for research, study, and teaching.