Having been used throughout the 1990s, gradually finding its way into Internet chat room after Internet chat room, "kewl" has been placed alongside the words in the Oxford English Dictionary (via the Quick and Dirty).
The bastardized spelling of "cool" also is said to have a slightly different pronunciation, with the dictionary listing two: "kjul" and "kul."
According to the online Oxford English Dictionary, "kewl" was first used in 1990. By 1995 it had been used in New Scientist magazine and has also been seen in New York Magazine and New Musical Express.
Now, the Oxford English Dictionary has deemed it a word in its own right. However, it has labeled it as slang. The dictionary listed the word as one of 163 new additions to the online edition this month.
Not everyone agrees that "kewl" deserves its dictionary place. The Collins Dictionary has included it, but Merriam-Webster's online dictionary has neglected to welcome the new word.
The Oxford English Dictionary describes itself as "widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language".
