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In 2005, during the rehearsal for a segment of “The Word” - a spoof of Bill O’Reilly’s “Talking Points” - Stephen Colbert was stuck on what term to use to describe a perceptive of truth known through raw feelings, rather than facts. He eventually came up with the word ‘truthiness’. Where initially Colbert thought this term would cause disdain, but instead this term became a "real" word in the New Oxford American Dictionary. This has caused quite the controversy as Ronald R. Butters, the former chairman of Duke University’s linguistics program, states “Truthiness is not a lexicological nova”.

I found the success of the word ’truthiness’ somewhat controversial because the word already existed and appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary under the adjective ‘truthy‘. With the phenomenon of social media website such as Facebook and Twitter, people also tend to make up words and new meanings, especially when updating their status or writing blogs. However, this doesn’t mean these words are going to appear in the New Oxford American Dictionary in the future. Did the word ‘truthiness’ gain it’s popularity simply through the influence of celebrity endorsement via a relatively famous comedian?

However, why is the use of ‘truthiness’ controversial when other words such as ‘faminess’ are just as ridiculous? Especially when the word ‘truthiness’ already appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary. It was not made up but Colbert simply coined the term with a new meaning. Who is to decide what makes an acceptable word or not? After all a word is a word.

Personally, I feel that the importance of words depends on the word itself. If it has influential power over popular culture such as ‘truthiness’, it deserves to be entered into the New oxford American Dictionary. People are constantly making up new words that end in “-iness” to suit their needs, to the point where a linguist calls the suffix “The Colbert Suffix.” Thus, I feel this word has earned it’s success and other words that are just as influential has proved to be worthy.