The word of the year? You be the decider!

New York, Nov 29: Will ''landslide'' win by a landslide? Will ''sectarian,'' ''vendetta'' or ''decider'' be named 2006's word of the year? Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of a leading US dictionary, is asking visitors to its Web site, http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/06words.htm, to pick the ''one single word that sums up 2006.'' The voting began November 20 and concludes on December 4, Arthur Bicknell, a spokesman for the Springfield, Massachusetts-based company, said in a telephone interview.

''We've been getting literally thousands of submissions,'' he said.

Bicknell said the company, which is owned by Encyclopedia Britannica, has no idea what the leading words are at this point in the voting.

REUTERS