Google (verb)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Look up google in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The verb to Google means "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet." For example, "Mary Googled for Wikipedia references." Compare with grep. This new word arose from the tremendous popularity of the Google search engine. The American Dialect Society chose Google as a nomination for the "most useful word of 2002." The verb 'Google' was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) on June 15, 2006,<ref>Bylund, Anders. "To Google or Not to Google." The Motley Fool via MSNBC. July 5, 2006. Retrieved on July 7, 2006.</ref> and to the 11th edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary in July 2006.<ref>Harris, Scott D. "Dictionary adds verb: to google." San Jose Mercury News. July 7, 2006. Retrieved on July 7, 2006.</ref> The OED notes the question, "Has anyone Googled?" in the Usenet Newgroup alt.fan.british-accent on October 10, 1999 as the first recorded usage of the word.

[edit] Overview

"Google" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary on June 15th, 2006. In their definition, it has a capital "G" and never a lower-case "g." It always refers to searching for information using the Google search engine, which was named in 1998 <ref>http://www.google.com/corporate/history.html</ref>.

"Googling" someone, or to say that some brand or concept, "does (or doesn't) Google," indicates whether or not information can be found on the subject using the Google engine. For instance, a person named David Jones, or a computer program named "Click", doesn't Google, since using either as a query would return hundreds of links unrelated to the individual or program in question. Similarly, very obscure things don't Google because they return no hits. Both search engines and companies try to ensure that the most relevant results are returned first; thus, virtually every well-known company Googles.

"Googlage" (or "Googlidge") is a term that refers to the information resulting from a Google search. For example, "Here's some Googlage on the topic." It is sometimes incorrectly used as a verb in place of the proper verb form, "Google".

Google has attempted to discourage use of the word as a verb, fearing the dilution and potential loss of its trademark, like Yo-Yo, Xerox and escalator (see genericized trademark). The company sent a cease and desist letter to Paul McFedries, creator of Word Spy, a website that tracks neologisms.<ref>Duffy, Jonathan. "Google calls in the 'language police'." BBC News. June 20, 2003. Retrieved on July 7, 2006.</ref> In an article in the Washington Post, Frank Ahrens discussed the letter he received from a Google lawyer that demonstrated "appropriate" and "inappropriate" ways to use the verb "google".<ref>Frank Ahrens. "So Google Is No Brand X, but What Is 'Genericide'?", Washington Post, 2006-08-05. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.</ref> It was reported that, in response to this concern, lexicographers for the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary lowercased the actual entry for the word, google, while maintaining the capitalization of the search engine in their definition, "to use the Google search engine to seek online information" (a concern which did not deter the Oxford editors from preserving the history of both "cases").<ref>Noon, Chris. "Brin, Page See 'Google' Take Its Place In Dictionary." Forbes. July 6, 2006. Retrieved on July 7, 2006.</ref>