On the etymology of ‘noob’

Happy Thursday, dear friends,

Language is a dynamic thing. One can think of a common language as something continually being re-created by all of us, and with that comes change. Whether a particular innovation is wrong or a sign of evolution is frequently argued.

Adam Aleksic completed a degree in linguistics at Harvard last year and has set himself up as a “linguistics influencer,” producing videos about words and language for TikTok and Instagram. (“Influencer,” as a career title for social media celebrities or trendsetters, may seem like a recent neologism, but the word has been spotted as early as the 17th century.)

Aleksic has a piece in the Washington Post about how video game terms are being adopted as slang across popular culture, with terms like “noob” (for newbie), “sidequest” and the like, reflecting the prevalence of gaming in American life: As of a March survey, 76 percent of us play games on at least one platform. The language of gaming is part of how we describe ourselves and shape our narratives, acting as, well, an influencer.

Coincidentally, in my column for this week’s Bulletin I use one such term myself. Can you find it? It is used for humorous effect, but as the novelty wears off and usage becomes more routine, Aleksic guesses people will forget their origins in gaming, just as we sometimes forget phrases like “knocking it out of the park” were borrowed, semi-humorously, from baseball.

(Letter continued below)

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The Bulletin has “hit the streets” and is “available on newsstands” everywhere, “hot off the press,” speaking of slang with historical origins. We bring a story of an historical landmark haunted, you might say, by the living; the latest from our colleagues on the agony of the Ruidoso wildfires; a review of the new play “on the boards” (more slang!) at the Black Box Theatre; and lots more. You can also find out work at LasCrucesBulletin.com.

Please enjoy and, as was once said, “watch this space.” The Bulletin has a lot more in the works for you.

Algernon D’Ammassa
Managing Editor

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