'Occupy' Named Word Of The Year For 2011 By American Dialect Society

TIME magazine named "the protester" as their Person of the Year for 2011 and now "occupy" has been named 2011 word of the year by the American Dialect Society.

In making the announcement this month, the organization's Executive Secretary Allan Metcalf said the social meda-charged movement owes part of its success to the term itself.

"It's a very old word, but over the course of just a few months it took on another life and moved in new and unexpected directions, thanks to a national and global movement," Ben Zimmer, chair of the American Dialect Society's New Words Committee, said. "The movement itself was powered by the word."

Occupy beat out second place finisher "FOMO" (meaning Fear of Missing Out) and another Occupy-linked phrase, "99 percenters," was third among the top finishers.

According to their website, the American Dialect Society is comprised of "linguists, lexicographers, etymologists, grammarians, historians, researchers, writers, authors, editors, professors, university students, and independent scholars."

For those who may not agree with their decision, the organization says their selection is not meant to be binding.

"In conducting the vote, [members] act in fun and do not pretend to be officially inducting words into the English language," the society wrote in announcing the selection. "Instead they are highlighting that language change is normal, ongoing, and entertaining."

So what's next for the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2012? Among other things, a march on Washington D.C. for Martin Luther King's birthday.

For more on the movement, including how it started and where it's going, check out The Huffington Post's new eBook.

CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this story, complete attribution was not given to the quote by Ben Zimmer. We regret the error.

 

Comments

[Dodgers1]

11:26 AM on 01/11/2012

Reality My Friend said, "If Mitt Romney wins, it will truly be the end". The end of what? Read this article from NY Magazine discussing an article from the Washington Post: Wall Street Still Gives More Cash to Obama Than to Republican­s
By Noreen Malone

Obama's still hauling it in.

Barack Obama might not seem to be the most popular guy with Wall Streeters these days, but they can't seem to stop donating to him. The Washington Post has done the math, and says that donations to the Obama campaign from the finance sector still top their donations to all of the Republican presidenti­al candidates combined.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­---------

Incredible that the OWS messiah took in more money from Wall Street than all the Republican candidates for President COMBINED. The very man who promised socialist change and hope is raking in all this money from Wall Street. Yet, the Republican­s are somehow to blame for Wall Street's greed. My question is that Way is socialist Obama getting more in contributi­ons from Wall Street than all the Republican candidates combined? The OWS movement is primaryly (look at the crowd photos) made up of naive and, basically, stupid protesters who have their heads in the sand.

[RealityMyFriend]

03:56 AM on 01/11/2012

If Mitt Romney wins the election it will truly be the end.

[MSROADKILL612]

02:39 AM on 01/11/2012

not sure if its there but i first discovered jonesing last year & me like

as these things go, i heard it twice in rapid succession - seems its a homey innovation - not often i go "kudos" to gang bangers

[surfandshop]

10:36 PM on 01/10/2012

I appreciate the message of the occupiers, but was disgusted by the human waste and garbage left. The message was lost as the media's coverage made supporters come out of the woodwork. It's nice to exercise the right to free (rambling incoherent) speech, but this series of public gatherings were related in name only.

[alans0222]

10:04 PM on 01/10/2012

I thought if it pertained to OWS it would be "urinate" or "waaaaaaaaaah"

[DrSkepsis]

09:20 PM on 01/10/2012

Just edged out Biden's three letter word, J-O-B-S.

[Rick Goodner]

09:59 PM on 01/10/2012

JOBs oh yes the Thing the TeabaggingRepubGOPers said that would make a lot of if that got elected... Another lie from the right.

[DrSkepsis]

11:03 PM on 01/10/2012

Too bad they didn't get elected. I think you have some culpability in that. But, I'd guess you care more about punishing others than anyone's job. Your own excepted, I'm sure.

[SMBrown2]

08:52 PM on 01/10/2012

OWS, proving that a few thousand homeless people can be roundly ignored by all Americans but the media.

[Rick Goodner]

09:36 PM on 01/10/2012

Got that out of Rush's --- did you? go wash your hands.

[sallybutt45]

08:16 PM on 01/10/2012

If you really consider the occupiers, they are doing your job for you. Everyone is upset with the system, and these brave people are voicing everyone's complaints and being abused for their efforts, not only by the militarized police but by the complainers, the moaners and just plain meanies who poo poo ant action that ust might already be having an impact. Unless you are the very very wealthy, you too are the 99%, so stop w the Faux rhetoric about criminals drugs and the rest of the bulls..... !

[huntinglefty]

08:05 PM on 01/10/2012

in other news, OWS named losers of the year

[Rick Goodner]

08:38 PM on 01/10/2012

You have tears in your eyes from the pain of seeing OWS get name of the year and Person of the Year for 2011 and OWS' stuff being put in museums! All TeabaggingRepubGOPers get is older and less and less of them each day :-) Why not get on the right side of history for the first time and join OWS it is to your benifit.

[huntinglefty]

09:19 PM on 01/10/2012

ows getting any award from the media is like french kissing your sister. but that impresses the left

[Siebenstein]

08:00 PM on 01/10/2012

Word of 2011
Action of 2012

[royofan]

07:55 PM on 01/10/2012

"According to their website, the American Dialect Society is comprised of "talking liberals,dictionary liberals,wordy liberals,grammar liberals,history liberals,research liberals,writing liberals,published liberals,editing liberals,elite liberals,student liberals,and independant elite liberals.

Fixed it.

[Bootinureye]

08:22 PM on 01/10/2012

Fanned.

[BreezyinVA]

08:48 PM on 01/10/2012

In other words, intelligent people. Ramble on.

[BreezyinVA]

07:37 PM on 01/10/2012

My all-time favorite was TRUTHINESS. OCCUPY is my next favorite.

[VikingQuest]

07:22 PM on 01/10/2012

"American Dialect Society"

Congrats, you now join:

1992: Not!
1996: soccer mom
1999: Y2K
2003: metrosexual

[tlsgwm]

07:20 PM on 01/10/2012

Mic check!

[MSROADKILL612]

02:31 AM on 01/11/2012

dont get it but sounds good

[saulthesavior]

07:17 PM on 01/10/2012

I can't wait until the the Charlotte convention. It's the banking capital of the south and OWS will have a unique opportunity to showcase the corruption in our political system.