Parlez-vous Nerdic?

Last Modified: 17 Apr 2008
By: Channel 4 News

Maybe you should - new researchers reckon it might be the next Esperanto. Although we wouldn't advise you to hold your breath...

Remember Esperanto? The language designed to be a second "international" language for everyone never really took off. But now there could be a second home for monoglot Europeans desperate to make conversation: Nerdic.

Well, that's what a little piece of research published by online retailer Pixmania claims anyway.

So what is it? Well, basically a new catchy name for "geek speak": all that techno jargon that has bubbled up with the internet over the last 15 years and which although once the preserve of internet boffins in their bedrooms, has now trickled down to ordinary tech-loving folk.

It's not a new notion that the geeky image of the internet and gadgetry is being eroded. Our consumer driven society has been fast to adopt the slogan "geek chic" and lust after every new iPod and camera phone available in the stores. And, as the technology is pretty new, a bunch of new terminology has sprung up to fill a vacuum in our languages.

Top ten Nerdic words (according to Pixmania)

1. Wimax - giving whole cities wi-fi internet coverage
2. RickRoll- intentionally misdirect internet users to Rick Astley's video "Never Gonna Give You Up"
3. UGC (user generated content) - Flickr, facebook and YouTube all rely on the reader generating content.
4. Mashup - take two or more interesting elements from different websites or applications and make them into one 5. RFID - Radio-frequency identification allows you to track packages around the world
6. Android - phones anyone can make applications for
7. HDMI - new Scart lead allows you to connect High-Def devices together
8. Fuel-cell - water powered battery for everything from cars to laptops that will boost your gadget's life
9. HSDPA - next step up from 3G on mobile phones
10. DVB-H - Mobile TV standard for Europe that allows you to watch TV on your mobile on the go

But can "Nerdic" really be described as a language? According to Pixmania's researchers, it can. They say it can be understood the world over and that it might "be more widely spoken than any other European dialect".

They reckon Nerdic has "the three core elements required to define a new language: words, phrases and pronunciation" and have applied to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to recognise it as an official language.

Many of the words understood across the continent are of English origin - like internet, downloading etc... Not much different to the French talking about le weekend or Germans and Italians saying Okay to each other, then.

Some of the findings appear to be a bit sketchy; they claim that " From 'dongle' to 'wifi' 100 new words were added to the Nerdic vocabulary in the past 12 months." But any gadget lovers worth their salt will know these words have been around quite a bit longer than a year.

Confusion over the difference between a language and a dialect aside, whether two different nations could actually communicate with a relative handful of words devoted to technology remains to be seen.

Nerdic challenge

So we hereby challenge you to prove the metal of this new language. If you can use Nerdic speak to communicate the following, let us know:

1. Make me a cup of tea
2. I like you
3. I'm a bit under the weather today
4. Can I borrow your car?
5. Meet me outside the chippy at 7pm

Or make up some of your own and email them to us at news@channel4.com