Words which are popular and current, such as 'selfie', 'hashtag' and 'tweet' have made it into the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) dictionary.

DBP director-general Datuk Dr Awang Sariyan said it was part of the role of dictionaries to record words which are widely used by society.

However, the words would have the letters "bp" to denote that they were part of spoken language which had yet to be accepted as standard language.

Speaking to Bernama here today, he said it was part of lexicography to include words which were widely used, as well as a formal or informal explanation.

Awang said words like 'selfie" referred to the act of a person taking their own photograph and uploading it into social media was a trend, including among leaders.

The Merriam-Webster had also included 'selfie, hashtag and tweet' with its editor Peter Sokolowski saying it was an effect of technology on life.