Apparently Global Language Monitor has declared that “Web 2.0” is the English Language’s millionth word.

 But this doesn’t seem to have impressed British academics according to the Guardian:

Professor David Crystal, professor of linguistics at Bangor University, called the idea “the biggest load of rubbish I’ve heard in years”. He said: “It is total nonsense. English reached 1 million words years ago. It’s like someone standing by the side of the road counting cars, and when they get to 1 million pronouncing that to be the millionth car in the world. It’s extraordinary.”

And the Daily Mail also achieved this excellent quote:

However John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said: ‘We find it curious that Web 2.0, a term that was coined in 1999 and has been in broad use since 2004, is being regarded as a new entrant to the language.”

So overall, measurement of entomology with high precision seems to have its flaws and is more about publicity than useful fact. I am proud of the balanced journalism by both these media groups in the reporting.