Apart from the numerous
abbreviations that have emerged overtime due to the use of social media, some
new words have also paddled themselves into these social platforms. The presence of
these words is made known by the occupants of the different social platforms through the way they use them to communicate with one another.
These words are not
contained in any of the offline or online English dictionaries, but with the way they are being
used, I will not be surprised if I see them in the newest edition of any
English dictionary. After all, words like "Instagram" and
"Snapchat" are being used as nouns and verbs in some online
dictionaries. That is why you can boldly tell someone that you are "instagramming" or "snapchatting", and if for any reason the person tries to dispute
that, you quickly open one online dictionary to back up your claim. Well, that's English for you. It changes with time; new words come in and some older words become archaic or obsolete.
Therefore, you shouldn't be surprised when you start
seeing these words in some online or offline dictionaries. These words are:
1. Whatsapp
The word
"Whatsapp" now functions as a noun, verb and an adjective on social media. As a noun, it
is a social networking app. I'm sure you've heard people say, "You can send it on WhatsApp." In this sentence, "Whatsapp" is functioning as a noun. As an adjective,
it qualifies a noun, e.g., I didn't get your whatsapp message. As a verb, it is
an action word, e.g., Please, whatsapp me.
SEE: 25 English words coined from the Igbo language
SEE: 25 English words coined from the Igbo language
It also has its
continuous form (whatsapping), e.g., "He keeps whatsapping me despite the
warning I gave him."
2. Facebooker
This is mostly used on
Facebook. It is formulated by Facebook users to refer to one who uses or chats
on Facebook. However, you can find "Facebook" being used as a noun
and a verb in most electronic dictionaries.
Do well to add to the
list (if you have any in mind) by using the comment box. Cheers!
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