Photo: UPI/Ron Sachs/Pool
Yes, indeed. The word “selfie” has been selected English Word of the Year 2013 by Oxford Dictionaries.
The Oxford Dictionary defines the “selfie” as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website”.
The word was first used in Australia in 2002, but its use in the last year has increased by over 17,000%! The word does not have to have been introduced in the last 12 months to qualify so long as it was frequently used in the last year. I guess a 17,000% increase would qualify!
“The Word of the Year award celebrates the inventiveness of English speakers when confronted with social, political or technological change” (BBC News). I have to say that when it comes to inventiveness English speakers win hands down.
Have you ever taken a selfie? Do you agree with this award? I’d love to know what you think.
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Ciao for now.
Shanthi
