Newbie[a] is aslang term for anovice,newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a given profession or activity. In particular, it may refer to a new user ofcomputers, and often concernsInternet activity, such asonline gaming[1] orLinux use.[2][3]
The origin of this term is uncertain. Earliest uses probably date to late twentieth centuryUnited States Armed Forcesjargon, though possible precursor terms date much earlier. The related termnoob (often stylized asn00b) is frequently used in online gaming.
The etymology of the term is uncertain. It may derive from "newie", which is attested in U.S. and Australian sources of the 1850s, meaning a neophyte in a place or situation; alternatively, it may derive from the Britishpublic school slang "new boy" or "new blood", which is attributed to the same era and was applied to a schoolboy in his first term.[4]
In the 1960s and 1970s, the term "newbie" had a limited usage among U.S. troops in theVietnam War as a slang term for a new man in a unit.[5]
Another use of the term newbee was the moniker given to new U.S. Navy recruit students attending Basic Electricity and Electronics school by more senior students, a requisite course prior to enrollment in the A-school course at Naval Air Technical Training Center,Millington, Tennessee.[citation needed]
The earliest appearance of the term onthe Internet may have been on theUsenet newsgrouptalk.bizarre.[6]By 1988, it had already entered online usage.[7]
Coming from an oral tradition, the term has various spellings. Among alternative forms are "newby", "nubie", and "newbee" (e.g.Los Angeles Times of August 1985: "It had to do with newbees. I could be wrong on the spelling, but newbies are the rookies among theBlue Angels.").[4]
In 2000,Electronic Arts releasedThe Sims. The game featured a tutorial house with a family called The Newbies.[8]
Different spellings can have quite different connotations; so in some contexts a "newb" refers to a beginner who is willing to learn,[9] while a "noob" refers disparagingly to an inexperienced or under-talented hacker or gamer who lacks the determination to learn.[9]
The origin of "nub" means "non-usable body" in the context of military submarines. It referred to crew that were too new to contribute, while wasting precious oxygen.
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