For the past 15 years, the 116-year-old American Dialect Society has chosen Words of the Year—a word or phrase that best reflects the language and preoccupations of the year gone by. The society will choose its Words of the Year 2005 on January 6, 2006, at its annual meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The public and representatives of the media are invited to join members and friends of the American Dialect Society as they discuss and vote on the words and phrases that are most salient and representative of the past year. The ADS vote is the longest-running “words of the year” vote and the only one conducted by an non-commercial entity.

Full press release: 2005 Words Of The Year To Be Chosen In Albuquerque.

UPDATED: (Jan. 6) The actual nominations have been posted.

Three lists of early words-of-the-year nominations have been added. Wayne Glowka’s, David Barnhart’s, and Grant Barrett’s.