Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Late 20th century ·1984
Netizen
internet citizen
- Meaning
- An engaged, opinionated participant in online discourse.
- Source words
- internet + citizen
- Coined by
- Michael Hauben
- Year
- 1984
Background
Hauben coined it on Usenet in 1984 to describe users who shaped online culture. Later embraced by Chinese internet media; now mildly dated in English.
Late 20th century
Marketing, media, and the early internet. Infomercial, emoticon, workaholic — the coinages name phenomena of mass media and white-collar life. Several predate the decades they're associated with.
Two words, one coinage.
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