Merriam-Webster carefully considers adding 'Senpai' to the dictionary - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Bazsil;50331062]you mean the prestige they earned while being an institution that made it a point to keep track of a constantly evolving language rather than taking a snapshot of it and denying any further changes whatsoever, especially those that they arbitrarily consider degenerate? i think it's a testament to their integrity that they acknowledge that the language is changing in spite of whining from people like you who would rather keep your heads buried in the sand and deny any change at all just because you've decided it's silly[/QUOTE] can't wait to see dat boi in the dictionary dude

[QUOTE=EpikEnvy2.0;50330869]merriam-webster and oxford are now jokes all that prestige wasted on a few dumbass fucking memes[/QUOTE] Apparently 'prestige' is synonymous with 'outdated', 'irrelevant' and 'obsolete' It's pointless holding on to 'prestige' if they only have it because people like you take language too seriously and refuse to document change

[QUOTE=EpikEnvy2.0;50331078]can't wait to see dat boi in the dictionary dude[/QUOTE] yikes! you've shown me another silly meme that would be totally silly if it was put in the dictionary! i'm now going to backpedal on my previous stance because it has been made clear to me that we are in fact dealing with a slippery slope and if one meme is put in, all of them will be! actually, if dat boi becomes so widespread and commonly used then i don't see why it wouldn't be. not that it will be, considering senpai has an actual definition and was already a word, but hey, I won't rule anything out.

[QUOTE=Bazsil;50331085]yikes! you've shown me another silly meme that would be totally silly if it was put in the dictionary! i'm now going to backpedal on my previous stance because it has been made clear to me that we are in fact dealing with a slippery slope and if one meme is put in, all of them will be! actually, if dat boi becomes so widespread and commonly used then i don't see why it wouldn't be. not that it will be, considering senpai has an actual definition and was already a word, but hey, I won't rule anything out.[/QUOTE] maybe they'll put in the funny sad frog too i mean apparently annoying fucks have already overused senpai to the point of it being in a dictionary so why not add in tfw right fuck it blur the lines of what should stay confined to the internet and the real world where saying shit like that will get you cringe-filled glances faster than admitting you wanna fuck dogs fuck merriam-webster, fuck oxford, this shit don't belong there that's all i'm outtie

[QUOTE=EpikEnvy2.0;50331101]maybe they'll put in the funny sad frog too i mean apparently annoying fucks have already overused senpai to the point of it being in a dictionary so why not add in tfw right fuck it blur the lines of what should stay confined to the internet and the real world where saying shit like that will get you cringe-filled glances faster than admitting you wanna fuck dogs fuck merriam-webster, fuck oxford, this shit don't belong there that's all i'm outtie[/QUOTE] why should stuff be confined to the internet, literally the biggest communication system in the world? [editline]16th May 2016[/editline] and thinking that words shouldn't be in the dictionary because they're "taboo" in real life is dumb. "nigger" would probably get me beat up in real life(worse than some cringe glances) but that doesn't stop it from being in the dictionary

[QUOTE=AtomicSans;50323035]Getting mad about anything Merriam-Webster adds is dumb. M-W is a reactionary dictionary, it always has been. It just reflects how English changes over time, it doesn't define which words are "real words" and which ones "aren't."[/QUOTE] English is a reactive language in general. I think most people don't realize that English doesn't have an official consortium or administrative body, unlike other languages like French. Literally with English as long as the intended recipient understands your message, you are using the language properly

[QUOTE=Electrocuter;50331109]why should stuff be confined to the internet, literally the biggest communication system in the world? [editline]16th May 2016[/editline] and thinking that words shouldn't be in the dictionary because they're "taboo" in real life is dumb. "nigger" would probably get me beat up in real life(worse than some cringe glances) but that doesn't stop it from being in the dictionary[/QUOTE] Saying nigger in portugal would get you beat up? That's kinda fucked up tbh.

I'm just waiting for the addition of "fam" and "onii-chan".

There are 1000s of words in the dictionary you will never use and even in this very thread people are getting irrationally angry over one

I don't really see the problem, it's a word people use. Even if it's used ironically it's still being used, has more right to be in a dictionary than a word like pusillanimous which is never used nowadays. Not like it's a faux pas to use a loan word.

I mean, people use Bae to refer to those they like why not senpai if you're really into it??

there is no "official" english word or not, if its being used its an english word.

Senpai is actually a great word if you understand what it means and where it can be used, and would help with describing a number of things in English. If I'm not mistaken, an almost literal translation would be "one who came before me," and it is basically used to describe someone who's been doing something longer than you have. It's commonly used by students at school to refer to upperclassmen, but it can be used in martial arts, jobs (though I think most of the time people don't, since they find it a bit weird to call people "senpai" at a job unless you knew them when you were in school and they were your senpai then), and basically any skill you practise to refer to someone who's been doing it longer than you, until you reach such a point where you would surpass them in their knowledge of that skill.

Are they going to add 'Kohai' as well? I mean they kinda have to.

[QUOTE=Ta16;50334079]Are they going to add 'Kohai' as well? I mean they kinda have to.[/QUOTE] Senpai is the more well-known of the two largely because of memes. Most people will have heard the "senpai please notice me" meme, but won't realize they'd be the "kouhai" in that scenario trying to get "senpai" to notice them because nobody ever uses the term kouhai when memeing.

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;50333805]Senpai is actually a great word if you understand what it means and where it can be used, and would help with describing a number of things in English. If I'm not mistaken, an almost literal translation would be "one who came before me," and it is basically used to describe someone who's been doing something longer than you have. It's commonly used by students at school to refer to upperclassmen, but it can be used in martial arts, jobs (though I think most of the time people don't, since they find it a bit weird to call people "senpai" at a job unless you knew them when you were in school and they were your senpai then), and basically any skill you practise to refer to someone who's been doing it longer than you, until you reach such a point where you would surpass them in their knowledge of that skill.[/QUOTE] The word for it in English is mentor.

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;50334140]The word for it in English is mentor.[/QUOTE] Not quite, because mentor implies that they are teaching you something. A senpai doesn't have to teach you anything, they just have to be ahead of you in something. For example, if I were to mentor someone at shooting, it would imply that I am actively teaching them things like stance, breathing, how to aim, and stuff like that. If I were to say I am someone's senpai with respect to shooting it just means I know more than them about shooting/can shoot better than them [B]and[/B] have been doing it longer. However if someone knew more than me/was better than me but hasn't been doing it as long, they do not become my senpai, but their knowledge allows them to stop calling me senpai.

[QUOTE=Doozle;50330193]People have been saying fam for years irl. At least in the UK and in American rap music. I'm sure I've heard my mum say fam before It only seems to have recently taken off on the internet[/QUOTE] If it (was) mostly said in rap that would explain why I don't hear it in real life since I don't listen to rap and nobody I talk to on a regular basis does either.

[QUOTE=edberg;50322976][img]http://i.imgur.com/V9fFSi2.png[/img] Really?[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Starpluck;50331013][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/vtmYLlT.png[/IMG][/QUOTE] A bit older but still: [media]https://twitter.com/bendreyfuss/status/720353702364651520[/media]