"What counts as a word?" It's a fascinating question, one that takes us into the realms of both lexicology (the study of words) and lexicography (the work of dictionary-making).
I have noticed over the years that some people--a lot, I suspect--think that words have to be "official," as if they have to undergo some scrutiny, pass a test, earn a stamp of approval from someone or something.
Like so many other things in the world, however, the notion of "official status" for a word is complicated. Let's dive in.
