english blog 5

If you were to ask my granddad what the meaning of “bitch” was, he would respond by saying, “A female dog” and look at me with a puzzled expression as to why I asked him such a simple question. On the other hand if you were to ask one of my friends the same question the first ideas that would spring to their minds would include a person with a bad attitude or someone that always does what others say; even if it degrades them. This shows that as time progresses peoples understanding of certain words changes as they are subjected to different environments.

The Oxford English Dictionary describes the term as being “The female of a dog” and “The term applied opprobriously to a woman; strictly, a lewd or sensual woman. Not now in decent use; but formerly common in literature. In modern use a malicious or treacherous woman; of things: something outstandingly difficult or unpleasant”. The Urban Dictionary contains similar meanings as well as some which are more painful to the ear. For example one entry describes bitch as “A woman that doesn't give a flying f*ck anymore and that can and will be cruel to men”. Another strong example is “An exceedingly whipped guy who does/wears/thinks/says whatever his girlfriend tells him what to do”.

The Oxford English Dictionary derives its authority prescriptively as it includes the mechanisms for establishing and maintaining an interregional language or a standardized spelling system. It also includes declarations of what particular groups consider to be good taste. The addition of new words to the dictionary can be a long process as each definition is painstakingly revised. This time consists of the contributions of several different people, and the work may in fact be spread out over a period of months, during which the entry is drafted, sent out for specialist consultation, and then returned for final editing.
The Urban Dictionary however derives its authority descriptively as it observes and records how language is used in practice. It also eschews value judgments and makes no recommendations unlike prescription. It is very much like Wikipedia as it allows anyone to add their own meanings to the website which as already shown, can result in graphic descriptions being added.

In conclusion I believe that it would be unfair to say either dictionary is better then the other. This is based on the fact that although the Oxford English Dictionary’s definitions are more ‘Standard English’ and politically correct than the Urban Dictionary, the latter’s definitions simply can’t be frowned upon. They may have some degree of graphicness in some of their definitions, but this only highlights the diversity of our language and how it is actually used in today’s world.