Txting: The Gr8 Db8

Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem. Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz.

Genesis 1 in lolcat

On July 5th, the new book txting: the gr8 db8 was released by Oxford University Press.

The OUP blog discusses how difficult it will be to dispel the urban myths surrounding the effects of txting on literacy.

David Crystal, a language expert, in a post appearing on his blog, continues the arguments made in his book.

What people fail to appreciate is that, to be a good texter, you actually have to be a good speller. You have to know how words are spelled before you can appreciate the effect of leaving letters out.

Also, remember one of the big discoveries reported in my Txtng book - that less than 10 per cent of the words used in text messages are actually abbreviated. So most of text messaging is standard anyway. The new creative possibilities offered by texting are also fully illustrated in the new book.

He goes on to say:

It's too easy for people to blame texting for every ill. That's the lazy way out. Teachers in particular should avoid taking it. If kids are having problems with spelling, the reasons lie elsewhere. Texting is part of the solution, not the problem. The first research results are absolutely clear: the more you text, the better your literacy scores.

And just in case you become obsessed with the possibilities:

But probably the most remarkable phenomenon, from a linguistic point of view, is LOLcats, LOLdogs, and related sites. This started by showing cute pictures of the animals and captioning them in nonstandard English. It goes well beyond the limited conventions of text-messaging, and is now developing into a genre of its own. Most of the Old Testament seems to have been translated into it, it seems, as this LOLcat Bible site shows.

They're even trying to standardize it - see How to speak lolcat.

And what I thought was his most profound statement:

It's amazing what's out there, when you go looking!

Let me link you to your closest independent bookstore! Just enter your ZIP code below before pressing the button. If you do not enter your ZIP, an indie bookstore will be chosen for you at random, and any of these stores can mail this title to you.

Open Dictionary - New Words

I was surprised to discover that boogie board and kiteboarding were not considered part of the English lexicon, at least as defined by dictionary entries.

The Open Dictionary is a place to record new or specialized words or old words with new meanings, and some of the more intriguing new words and expressions submitted to the Open Dictionary at www.merriam-webster.com make it into this semimonthly roundup at the Britannica Blog. Some of these words are being used in active English but have not yet found their way into the pages of print dictionaries. Others are clever or useful coinages.

These new entries were included in the Open Dictionary this month:

boogie board (noun): a board smaller than a surfboard that is typically ridden in a prone position

Example of use: Cameron jumped into the pool and floated around on his boogie board.

kiteboarding (noun): a water sport in which a surfboarder uses the lift and pull of a large kite to move and perform maneuvers

Example of use: Kiteboarding can be done in nearly any location in the world, with nothing but wind and gear that can easily be packed down to the size of a golfing bag.

longliner (noun): one who fishes using a longline

Example of use: Halibut prices took a dip from the record prices Alaska longliners enjoyed at the docks last year.

Any ideas for other words that should be added to the dictionary?

When you notice a new word — on the radio, in a book or magazine, or online — and discover that it’s not in the dictionary, then it’s a good candidate for Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary. Some words catch on, some don’t. It usually takes a few years for a word to enter the language and be used by many people in many different places. Lexicographers collect the evidence of new words used in print to determine when they are to be entered in the dictionary.

If you know a word not listed in the dictionary, submit it to the Open Dictionary, at this link.