OMG! War of words erupts after Oxford Dictionaries crowns an emoji as word of the year
Commentators disagree over whether texting symbol deserves plaudits
Oxford Dictionaries announced on Tuesday that the word of the year … actually isn't a word.
After "selfie" and "vape" in previous years, this year's winner goes to the "face with tears of joy" emoji, which was chosen because it was the most used emoji around the world this year. It also marks the first time a pictograph has ever been chosen.
Oxford Dictionaries is backing its decision, saying the title goes to the "word or expression" that best reflects the "ethos, mood and preoccupations" in the passing year.
You can see how traditional alphabet scripts have been struggling to meet the rapid-fire, visually focused demands of 21st century communication
"You can see how traditional alphabet scripts have been struggling to meet the rapid-fire, visually focused demands of 21st century communication," said Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Dictionaries.
"It's not surprising that a pictographic script like emoji has stepped in to fill those gaps - it's flexible, immediate, and infuses tone beautifully."
The use of the "face with tears of joy" emoji accounted for 20 per cent of all emojis used in the United Kingdom and 17 per cent in the United States, according to statistics from SwiftKey, a mobile app company that partnered with Oxford Dictionaries in its research.
Last year, the emoji only accounted for 4 and 9 per cent respectively.
Some took to social media to complain.