Netymology

August 15, 2016
Slimmer and far more engaging than the average dictionary, this volume contains 100 short essays on the lingo, abbreviations, and turns of phrase that have proliferated in the online world. British technology writer Chatfield catalogs the evolving English language with entries on words such as LOLZ, pwn, twitterverse, netiquette, and even the venerable byte. Chatfield's expansive knowledge of pop culture and technology lends intrigue to even an utterance of indifference, mehâpopularized, perhaps, by its use on the television show The Simpsons in the 1990s before it became a staple of online chat conversations. Moreover, he incorporates the linguistic roots of many terms. Discussing the phenomenon of a digital artifact going viral, he begins with the 1890s classification of the biological analogue. Obscure anecdotes and a good sense of humor ensure this volume will charm and inform both tech buffs and those who navigate the digital world with trepidation. The essays are only a few pages long, so reading the book straight through is a staccato experience but still pleasurable.

August 1, 2016

According to Chatfield (How To Thrive in the Digital Age), as our daily digital lives accelerate and expand, changes to language are happening at an unprecedented degree. In setting out the stories of how new words, phrases, and symbols of the Internet came into being, the author sketches a partial portrait of life today. The book consists of 100 brief essays, each examining the origins, usages, and meanings of such items as: Apple's command key, the hashtag, emoticons, @, wikis, grokking, avatars, Bluetooth, the Cupertino effect, typosquatting, memes, and sneakernet. Equipped with detailed endnotes that often cite important documents or the first instance of a word or phrase down to the exact moment of introduction, this engaging volume is not just for the word nerds among us. The stories collected here not only entertainingly illustrate and explain the exploding cybervocabulary, but they also effectively analyze how everyday technology is changing human communication. VERDICT Recommended for all verbivores, those generally curious about words and their origins, and those interested in the history of technology.--Paul A. D'Alessandro, Brunswick, ME

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.