'Refudiate' this: Palin matters

Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Summer" is not even a word. That's something no one can "refudiate."

Sarah Palin's attempt to splice "refute" and "repudiate" on a news show and in a Twitter message in July sparked more searches on the publisher's online dictionary during the summer than most real words did. The former Alaska governor laughs off criticisms about her pseudo-word, noting Shakespeare also coined new words.

'Refute' and 'repudiate' do have similar meanings. Refute means to prove something wrong or deny its truth or accuracy. Repudiate means to refuse any connection with something or reject it as untrue or unjust.

"I think people immediately knew what she was trying to say because the words 'refute' and 'repudiate' were also being looked up very, very frequently," said John Morse, Merriam-Webster's president and publisher. "It's an interesting blend, but no, 'refudiate' is not a real word."

Jonathan Bobaljik, linguistics professor at the University of Connecticut, said a word's transition from slang to acceptance isn't a clear-cut process.

For instance, people with something in common — such as Palin supporters — might use a term even if they know it's not considered proper English.

"If enough people decide through popular consent that they're going to use it, then it may eventually become a word," Bobaljik said.

Can't 'refudiate' her clout