"Word" is Biblical in origin. Young American
white hipsters stole this term in the
mid 2000's from black American youth who had been using it since the
mid nineties. Most people don't know what it means, thinking it means awesome or radical. The originators of the term had been raised in Protestant Churches and it was actually a secret code word to recognize like minded brothers and sisters in the street, where out of necessity profundity was disguised as profanity. However this term was used occasionally by Dr.Cornell West as early as the 1970's. It is a less prentious way of kissing ass with a namaste while acknowledging the divinity in another, as
well as ending a conversation. It
literally means ultimate or transcendant.
Statement:"
Da nigga be grabbin his dick at me". Sarcastic reply "Word ! ". Or in the more authentic context of the word
one
might share " I am feelin fucked up " to which another acknowledges " Ah heard dat" , and a third person offers a validating "Word ! "