The dictionary has chosen "unfriend" as its word of the year, making it clear that the lingo on social networks trumped lingo in other markets. Unfriend, meaning to disapprove someone from being your friend, was chosen over other contenders, including netbook, sexting, intexticated, hashtag and paywall.

"The words that become word of the year are there because they have a special significance in that calendar year," said Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer of U.S. dictionaries for Oxford University Press. "Unfriend represents an entire social-networking culture and has that appeal of addressing the fact that Facebook is here to stay and not just a means of communication."

Used as early as 1659

Unfriend was also chosen for its linguistic appeal, according to Lindberg. The Oxford dictionary provides a citation for the verb form of unfriend as early as 1659, and the essence of the meaning hasn't changed much.

"It is a very old word that has been adopted by a new generation," Lindberg said. "Now it has a very explicit designation as a verb used for social networking."

Personally, Lindberg likes the word because it fits into the criteria of making a statement about a subculture, and it also holds up linguistically.

Picking a word of the year isn't an easy task, she said. "If they think it is something we just threw together at the last minute, nothing is further from the truth," she added.

Lindberg, one of many lexicographers for the dictionary, said she jots down words as she hears them throughout the week. By the end of any given week she has a collection of notes. After checking if the words have already been used in the dictionary, she puts the list into her "word to watch" file.

The word of the year, however, is a different animal, she said. An individual from the group's New York City office gets the ball rolling by taking short lists from the lexicographers in New York and the U.K. That person then compiles the words into a list so core lexicographers can weigh in.

Chance to Choose

Decisions are made by emphasizing American usage of words. Once a credible list of candidates is compiled, the list is passed to the marketing side. "We work together, the magic happens, and there is a final meeting of the minds, a roundtable discussion, and the word emerges," Lindberg said.

While the Oxford staff has its method of choosing a word of the year, the American Dialect Society, a group that studies English words used in North America, has a different way of choosing special words.

The society began its annual word of the year nominations on Sunday. While the word of the year award has been made for 20 years, this is only the second time the group will roll out its word of the decade award. Unlike the Oxford dictionary, the society allows public votes through Twitter and e-mail.