Pwn

For other uses, see PWN (disambiguation).

"Powned" redirects here. For the Dutch public broadcaster see PowNed.

Pwn is a leetspeak slang term derived from the verb own,^[1][2][3] as meaning to appropriate or to conquer to gain ownership. The term implies domination or humiliation of a rival,^[4] used primarily in the Internet-based video game culture to taunt an opponent who has just been soundly defeated (e.g., "You just got pwned!").^[5]

In hacker jargon, pwn means to compromise or control, specifically another computer (server or PC), web site, gateway device, or application. It is synonymous with one of the definitions of hacking or cracking. The Pwnie Awards are awarded by a group of security researchers.^[4]

Popularity of the term among teenagers rose in the mid-2000s, with the spread from the Internet written form to use in spoken language.^[6]

Etymology

The word pwn most likely came about as a common typo of the word "own" because the "p" and "o" keys are adjacent on a standard English keyboard.^[6][7] A long debate on Urban Dictionary, however, suggests many derivations including "pawned" (a chess term for when a player is put in check by a pawn) and "permanently owned," an escalation of the term "owned."^[8]

Pronunciations

Because pwn is primarily used in written form, it has no single generally accepted pronunciation: renditions include /ˈoʊn/ ohn, /ˈpoʊn/ pohn, /pəʔˈoʊn/ pə'-ohn, /ˈpɔːn/ pawn, /piːˈoʊn/ pee-ohn, and /ˈpwiːn/ pween. Originally, pwn and its variants were pronounced /ˈoʊn/) in the same way as the verb own, the tail of the p being "silent". A notable usage of this pronunciation can be seen in the Internet distributed series Pure Pwnage (pronounced "pure ownage" /ˈpjʊər ˈoʊnɨdʒ/).^[9]

Where speakers vocalize the p, pronunciations include pwen, "pwin", pawn, "pone", pun^[10] and pwone.^[11]

See also

• Internet slang
• Owned
• PowNed
• Gosu
• Hacker (computer security)
• Uber
• Lulz
• Teh

References

1. ^ "Pwned – 10 Tales of Appropriation in Video Games" (Martin Pichlmair)
2. ^ "Computer Slang"
3. ^ Ludlow, Peter; and Wallace, Mark (2007). The Second Life Herald. MIT Press. p. 53. ISBN 0262122944
4. ^ ^{a b} Naone, Erica (November 2008). "The Flaw at the Heart of the Internet", Technology Review 111 (6): 62–67.
5. ^ Peckham, Aaron (2007). Mo' urban dictionary: ridonkulous street slang defined. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 0740768751
6. ^ ^{a b} Bennett, Dean (February 8, 2007). "Teen slang now following Internet shortcuts", Canadian Press. Convenience link.
7. ^ About.com, pwn – own, accessed 2006-01-01.
8. ^ Urban Dictionary, pwned – owned, accessed 2010-09-30.
9. ^ The word "pwnage" can be pronounced several different ways. The show's creators pronounce it "ownage". "'Pwn' was originally a typo of 'own', because the 'P' is near the 'O' on the keyboard. The person is still trying to say 'own'." [TeamSpeak chat, December 13, 2005].
10. ^ Pwn, PC Magazine Experts Help Encyclopedia, accessed 2 March 2008.
11. ^ Rhoads, Christopher (August 23, 2007). "What did U S@y?". Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB118679550023894850.html. Retrieved November 26, 2009. ^{[dead link]}