The English language ain't what it used to be. And Shakespeare and Jane Austen would be turning in their graves if they were offered a copy of the new Oxford Compact English Dictionary, writes zahra akkerhuys

It's true to say that languages never stand still. Latin and Ancient Greek apart, they are constantly evolving and reflecting society's changes.

Critics say it could end up devaluing the language. By including words such as lookism discrimination on the grounds of how a person looks and the clothes they wear and carpenter trousers multi-pocketed trousers with loops for tools the editor Catherine Soanes has raised a few eyebrows.

But she remains unrepentant and has defended her position by saying that languages are always developing and a dictionary must reflect that. After all, the complete works of Shakespeare were littered with contemporary slang.

She says: "It's true that the older generation are still a bit fazed by the rate at which the language is changing.

"For example, people do regret the fact that the word 'gay' now means homosexual more than 'happy' as it used to.

"But I make no apologies for reflecting that change in the dictionary. We have always included informal language in the dictionary. Slang is a very creative area used by people to express themselves.

"You cannot stop a language from changing. It is developing all the time"

Words to be considered for inclusion were collected through the Oxford Reading Programme (ORP) by people all over the globe. They are from all walks of life and come across words in scientific journals, on the Internet or even in conversation. The words are all entered in the ORP database and then each time a new edition is being prepared then the database is consulted.

Catherine says: "It is a systematic process. The readers are reading lots of different sorts of text and they are making contributions all the time. The database is always being updated and it is interesting how words come into prominence.

"Not long ago only a few people knew what many of the Internet terms meant. But now, as more and more people have gone on-line, the terms are widely-recognised."

Computer terms such as on-line, dot-com and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) have all been included in this edition.

The new dictionary also includes a string of terms related to the fashion industry with technical terms such as:

combat trousers multi-pocketed baggy trousers

a shrug a close-fitting woman's cardigan

a buzz-cut today's answer to the crew-cut

chuddies underpants as popularised by the comedy show Goodness, Gracious Me!

Catherine says: "Fashion and beauty have always been big contributors to the English language. Many hundreds of words for types of garment are already in the Oxford English Dictionary and the trend is continuing."

Trends in the fashion industry come and go and Catherine and her team wait for a word to be in use for at least a year before it is considered for inclusion.

She says: "We want to see if a word will stand the test of time. If we find that it only has a brief life, then it won't be included."

Words which are currently being considered for inclusion but which must prove that they are not just a passing fashion include:

Blairism

fashion icon

superwaif

tankini

The Oxford Compact English Dictionary costs 11.99.

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