How exactly do words become actual words?
In: 12
You have to submit an application to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Just kidding. Words become words once a population group of any size are able to communicate an idea using a commonly recognized sound/set of sounds. “Ug,” can mean “Hi” if a group of people all use it to express the same meaning, thus making it a “word.” So to answer the basis of your question, a word becomes a word once the sound or symbol is ascribed meaning, generally beyond just the representation of a sound (otherwise it would just be a letter or phoneme).
One thing to keep in mind is dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive, meaning they are used to reflect the words that are used in language in their most commonly agreed spelling and pronunciation, not to dictate what words are supposed to be used.
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