Miley Cyrus may think she started a new craze when she showed off her “twerking” – but it turns out the word can be traced as far back as 1820.
Twerking has, in recent years, been described in the Oxford English Dictionary as as dancing “in a sexually provocative manner, using thrusting movements of the bottom and hips while in a low, squatting stance”.
It was understood to have its roots in the early 1990s New Orleans ‘bounce’ music scene.
But new research by the OED found it was first used as a noun in 1820, spelt “twirk” to refer to a “twisting or jerking movement” or “twitch”.
The verb is believed to have emerged later in 1848, and the “twerk” spelling was popularly used by 1901.
Whilst the exact origin of the word is uncertain, it may be a blend of the words twist or twitch, and jerk.
Fiona McPherson, senior editor of Oxford English Dictionary, said: “We are confident that it is the same origins as the dance. There has been constant use up into the present day to mean that same thing.
“I think it’s quite spectacular, the early origins for it. We were quite surprised.”
Twerking has infiltrated popular culture in recent years and hit the headlines after Miley Cyrus’s controversial MTV Video Music Awards performance in 2013.
The word is one of 500 new entries, including “twitterati” (describing users of the social media service), and “fo’ shizzle” (meaning “for sure”), added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
For a word to qualify, it must have been have been in popular use for at least 10 years in both novels and newspapers.
“Meh”, an interjection expressing lack of enthusiasm, has also been included in the latest OED.
The word is believed to have been first used in 1992, before being popularised by cult TV cartoon The Simpsons.
Other new entries include:
e-cigarette (noun) – the “cigarette-shaped device containing a nicotine-based liquid or other substance that is vaporized and inhaled, used to simulate the experience of smoking” has soared in popularity in recent years, but the word usage can be traced back to 2007.
voluntourism (noun) – “tourism in which travellers spend time doing voluntary work on development projects, usually for charity”, is believed to have been first used in 1991.
webisode (noun) – “a short video, especially an instalment in a drama or comedy series, which is presented online rather than being broadcast on television” was recorded in use in 1996.
FLOTUS (noun) – (The) First Lady of the United States was referred to using this acronym as early as 1983, and is now Michelle Obama’s official twitter handle.
freegan (noun) – A person who eats discarded food, typically collected from the refuse of shops or restaurants, for ethical or ecological reasons. The word was recorded in use in The Sunday Times in 1997. It can also be used as an adjective.
ecotown (noun): A new town designed to have a minimal impact on the environment and to facilitate an environmentally responsible lifestyle for its residents. First used in 1974.