# The Beauty of an Ever-Changing Language

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beauty-of-an-ever-changing-language/667429>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 28, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beauty-of-an-ever-changing-language/667429 "2013-08-28T19:14:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beauty-of-an-ever-changing-language/667429/1 "2013-08-28T19:14:35Z")

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Britain’s presitigious Oxford Dictionaries have announced plans to add four new words (or phrases) to its lexicon:

[http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-universe-crumbles-as-dictionary-adds-selfie-bitcoin-twerk-20130828,0,2333499.story](http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-universe-crumbles-as-dictionary-adds-selfie-bitcoin-twerk-20130828,0,2333499.story)

So, what are your thoughts? I think these neologisms are doomed to a short duration, myself, but I’ve been wrong before.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beauty-of-an-ever-changing-language/667429/2 "2013-08-28T19:21:36Z")

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Since people use the words, a dictionary is bound to include them.

I had never heard “twerk” until last Monday. It would have been very useful to be able to go to a dictionary to look it up.

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**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beauty-of-an-ever-changing-language/667429/3 "2013-08-29T08:40:44Z")

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I’ve never heard of any of those words apart from Bitcoin. “Digital detox” sounds like the kind of neologism a Guardian lifestyle columnist would invent and then continue to use in all seriousness until it’s clear nobody else is going to use the phrase.

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**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beauty-of-an-ever-changing-language/667429/4 "2013-08-29T11:31:55Z")

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It should be noted that the words are only being added to the [online edition](http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/08/28/_twerk_and_selfie_added_to_oxford_english_dictionary_nope_and_stop_saying.html) of the Oxford dictionary, which is much more contemporary and sets a much lower bar for entry than the stately OED.