Happy Wednesday to you all! If you read my Top Ten Tuesday post yesterday, you’ll know why the word dork has been on my mind this week. I’ve been considering adorkable characters—characters who are dorky in an adorable way. And of course, that led me to wondering about where the word dork came from in the first place.
It’s a word of fairly recent invention (1960s), and its original intent was almost certainly to insult (considering it seems to have also referred to a certain part of the male anatomy). It was applied to someone who was socially awkward, but didn’t necessarily carry the same connotation of intelligence as geek or nerd.
Over time the word has mellowed a little to referring to someone who is silly, who looks or behaves ridiculously around others, or who simply marches to the beat of their own drum—confidently or otherwise.
Personally, I was more apt to earn the moniker nerd when I was growing up, but the times I have heard dork being used, either toward myself or others, it has carried an almost affectionate tone to it, much like the term adorkable carries. Perhaps dork could now be considered the noun, and adorkable its associated adjective?
And so, in light of its somewhat chequered history, I thought I would put it to you, word nerds. How do you feel about the word dork? Has it been used as an insult, in your experience, or as an affectionate way of pointing out someone’s . . . unique qualities?
I’ve heard it used as bothan insult and as a more good-natured affectionate teasing. Fun post, Katie!
Thanks!
I’ve heard it as both, but I think the word “nerd” has developed more of a positive connotation now than it used to. It’s strange how words evolve, isn’t it?
Definitely!