Google found its way into the M-W dictionary

The latest edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary has added a new word into its pages. Netizens from around world will surely rejoyce when learning that “google” is now considered to a verb, a transitive verb, to be precise.

There are two inflected forms to this verb, such as “googled” and “googling”. Who hasn’t already heard a prospective employer say “I googled your name, before this interview”? Another example could’ve been chosen but this one seemed funnier, especially since employers are usually the ones being “googled” the most, before an interview!

I found it interesting to read about the etymology of this new verb: “Google, trademark for a search engine: to use the Google search engine to obtain information about (as a person) on the World Wide Web“. The word “google” is now considered both a trademark -and- a verb so, in accordance to this logic, can anybody -legally- use “google” for their own needs? For instance, will “googling-the-web.com” be considered trademark infrigement if it’s used for a personal homepage by someone blogging about what he, or she, “googled” on the web? If there’s a lawyer in the audience, please speak up!

Surprisingly, Merriam-Webster didn’t include this new verb in their online sampling of new words being added to the 11th Edition of their Collegiate Dictionary. In the technology and computers theme, words like “mouse potato“, “ringtone” and “spyware” were listed. While being significant, there’s little logic in not mentionning “google” in this sampling.

Of course, to be added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a word has to be more than a flash-in-the-pan fad. It definitely needs staying power.

In your opinion, does “google” fit the profile?

Tags: m-w, merriam-webster, google, googling, googler, dictionnary, new word, trademark

One Response to “Google found its way into the M-W dictionary”

1. The Foo Logs » Blog Archive » Company names becoming (or has become) common household verbs says:

   July 30, 2006 at 3:21 pm

   [...] A good article from Beep.name talks about Google being “considered” a verb and being included in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It just shows how actual company names/ trademarks have come into our common vocabulary to describe what we are doing. Most of the time, we say it almost unknowingly, associating the company name/ brand/ trademark with the action we are doing instead. In essense we are diluting the Trademark of the company. I do it all the time…. here are some examples: [...]