...digeratus means. Googled it today and found this (1) in Merriam Webster. Is the "fellow who wrote in" Udhay? Coined 16 years ago? About the time U took an active interest in all things computing.
Venkat (1) http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/wftwarch.pl?041808 ==================================== Word for the Wise April 18, 2008 Broadcast Topic: Digerati & digeratus It was easy enough to finger the wordlover who passed along a word for our consideration. The fellow who wrote in wanted to know if there were any plans to include digeratus—meaning an individual member of the digerati—in the next update of the Collegiate Dictionary. The digerati, the plural form whose name IS represented in the Collegiate, are persons well-versed in computer use and technology. The word's earliest appearance in print dates back 16 years and was formed from the digi in digital plus the erati from literati. Literati, meaning "persons interested in literature or the arts"; "the intelligentsia"; or "the educated class"; dates back to the 1600s, while the singular (and far less common form) literatus broke away from the herd early in the 1700s. So if digeratus, modeled on literatus, is the logical name for a single member of the digerati, does that mean we should be able to find it in the dictionary soon? Nope. A search of the vast Merriam-Webster electronic database yields not a single instance of its usage. Does that mean those in the know should steer clear of digeratus? Not at all. Know that every coinage has its own story, and be prepared to explain your usage if questioned. Questions or comments? Write us at [email protected] Production and research support for Word for the Wise comes from Merriam-Webster, publisher of language reference books and Web sites including Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. ============================
