Like they say, we need not bother with American English spellings or the Queens’ English, it’s the next-gen that will dictate how we spell our words. Avid online gamers use the expression “w00t” to express triumph. According to the Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster Inc. it’s like saying “yay”. They say that “w00t” (spelled with two zeros) reflects the lingo used by the young generation. Visitors to Merriam-Webster’s Web site were invited to vote for one of 20 words and phrases culled from the most frequently looked-up words on the site and submitted by readers. “w00t” was named word of the year. Next in line was the word “facebook”. Facebook means to add someone to a list of friends on the Web site Facebook.com or to search for people on the social networking site.

A separate survey of words used in the media and on the Internet by California-based Global Language Monitor produced a different set of winners. “Hybrid” was the word of the year and “climate change” was the top phrase. “The English language is becoming more and more a globalized language every year,” said Global Language Monitor president Paul Payack, noting that this year’s list included words also culled from India, Singapore, China and Australia.
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