- Facebook was originally the name of an online social network for college students. The use of facebook as a verb is a zero-derivation from the noun Facebook. Not only was the word zero-derived to become a verb meaning surfing the Facebook website, it was broadened to describe all activities associated with Facebook, including messaging, friending, posting pictures, posting events, etc. It is used by the community of college students (and starting recently, high school students as well as adults) that use Facebook as a online social networking tool.
facebook (2)
verb; zero derivation
to look up someone’s profile on Facebook or participating in any other activities associated with Facebook
Etymology : From the name of the online social network, Facebook; zero derivation. The original social network name Facebook most likely is a compounding of face and book. Face, 'front part of head,' comes from the Old French facia, which comes from Latin facies, meaning 'appearance, form, figure.' Book comes from Old English boc, which comes from Proto-Germanic bokiz, 'beech.' The idea of books comes from the notion of runes inscribed on beechwood tablets. Facebook is then a book of faces that allows for social networking between college friends.
Source : “I facebooked my friend to see if she wanted to work on the problem set.” (friend, October, 2008)
Last modified: 1 December 2008