Urban Dictionary Anne Curzan Analysis

What makes a world “real”? This question was the subject of English Professor Anne Curzan’s presentation during a TED conference. The question is an appropriate one given the large influx of slang that is becoming commonly used. Curzan hypothesis that when people state a word isn’t real, “what they mean is, that word does not appear in a standard dictionary.” The question that must naturally follow suit is, who writes dictionaries? Throughout history there was a list of editorial teams and lexicographers who are responsible for the creation of various dictionaries. However, it is ultimately people who are responsible for the changes in language that are eventually added to a dictionary. Words are borrowed, lost, and redefined time and time again by everyday people. As Curzan mentions, dictionary editors struggle to keep up with people as they change the language. If language is constantly altered by those who speak it, then it is only natural that a dictionary should reflect that flowing nature of language. Urban Dictionary accomplishes just that. Urban Dictionary is created by the people who use the slang and language that compose it, and its design allows for the dictionary to be updated constantly to reflect the ever-changing evolution of
Standard words such as “nice” have had their meanings changed with the flow of time. Nice used to be akin to foolish or silly, however, that definition does not apply today. The tendency for flexible change in meaning is a natural part of the evolution of language, and by design Urban Dictionary is equally flexible. Based on the collaboration of thousands of volunteers, easy to understand methodology, and low costs to run efficiently, Urban Dictionary has the potential to be constantly relevant (Cotter and Damaso 3), and avoids the problem of being dated as it changes with the