Miley Cyrus didn’t invent ‘twerking’ - it dates back 200 years!
Researchers make a surprising discovery
The word ‘twerk’, a gyrating dance move made infamous by Miley Cyrus, dates back to almost 200 years ago, researchers have found.
Miley appeared to kick-start the twerking phenomenon at the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2013 when she danced sexually suggestively with her tongue waggling during her ‘We Can’t Stop’ performance with Robin Thicke.
Now, researchers at the Oxford English Dictionary have found the word was actually first used in 1820 – spelt as ‘twirk’ to refer to a twisting or jerking movement.
Many decades later in 1901 the spelling changed to its current form of ‘twerk’.
Fiona McPherson, senior editor of Oxford English Dictionary, said: "We are confident that it is the same origins as the dance.
"There has been constant use up into the present day to mean that same thing. I think it's quite spectacular, the early origins for it. We were quite surprised."
‘Twerk’ was added to the OED in 2013 where it’s described as dancing "in a sexually provocative manner, using thrusting movements of the bottom and hips while in a low, squatting stance".
New additions to the Oxford English Dictionary include Guerilla (activities carried out in an irregular and spontaneous way), Gimmick (a night out with friends), Twitterati (users of Twitter), Meh (a sign of disapproval originating from The Simpsons) and Fo’ shizzle (for sure).