How new neologisms arise and what impact they have on our society will be examined in this paper.
The paper will be structed in such a way that the question how new neologism occur in our vocabulary will be analysed first. It is proceeded in such a way that the first part will focus on the explanation of the term morphology and afterwards the individual processes of word formation, that are connected to morphology, will be presented. After the theoretical part, the handling of word formations in the area of social media is investigated. The focus is particularly on the platforms Twitter and Instagram and which different processes can be found under the post and the comment section. Afterwards, the applied methodology to gather and investigate the data used in this term paper, will be described. Thus, the results will be presented followed by a discussion of explaining and analysing the previous results, studies, and the methodology. Eventually, a conclusion with a summary of the results and its discussion of the term paper topic will be given.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 MORPHOLOGY
2.1 TYPES OF WORD FORMATION PROCESSES
2.1.1 DERIVATION
2.1.2 COMPOUNDING
2.1.3 CONVERSION
2.1.4 CLIPPING
2.1.5 BLENDING
2.1.6 ACRONYMS/ALPHABETISMS
2.1.7 BACK-FORMATION
2.1.8 COINAGE
3 SOCIAL MEDIA
3.1 INSTAGRAM
3.2 TWITTER
4 MY EMPIRICAL STUDY
4.1 METHODOLOGY
4.2 RESULTS
4.3 DISCUSSION
5 CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to investigate the emergence of new neologisms in the digital age, specifically focusing on how social media platforms influence vocabulary development among users. The research examines whether social media creates a distinct wave of new words and how these linguistic innovations are integrated into everyday communication, while simultaneously identifying the morphological processes involved in their creation.
- Theoretical foundations of word formation processes in English.
- Linguistic analysis of vocabulary on Instagram and Twitter.
- Empirical study through online questionnaires regarding user perception and usage.
- Impact of social media on the evolution and necessity of new language forms.
- Distinction between trendy temporary terms and efficient permanent lexical additions.
Excerpt from the Book
2.0 Morphology
“Morphology”- a term which was originally coined by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and used in sciences for the study of the forms and structure of living organism. Nowadays it is concerned as the study of words and the various processes which allow us to constantly enlarge the vocabulary of language (Kortmann 2015, p.85.) The smallest meaning-bearing unit of language consists of two morphemes, morph + ology. “Morph” means “shape or form” and the suffix - ology means “science of” or “branch of knowledge concerning.” Thus, morphology is the science of word forming and as a part of linguistic knowledge which focuses on how words are formed (Kortmann 2015, p.85.) Essentially, morphology comprises two branches, word formation and inflectional morphology. Word formation is the branch of morphology which expand the vocabulary of a language and studies the way in which new lexemes are formed (Kortmann 2015, p.94.) English word formation is often classified into two branches. One is called “high productivity” which consist of derivation, compounding and conversions and the other one is called “low(er) productivity”, which includes shortening and other processes (Kortmann 2015, p.95.)
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the research context, highlighting the constant growth of the English lexicon and questioning the role of social media in the creation of contemporary neologisms.
2 MORPHOLOGY: This section defines morphology and outlines the diverse linguistic processes of word formation, such as derivation, compounding, and clipping, which serve as the theoretical basis for the paper.
3 SOCIAL MEDIA: The chapter investigates how digital platforms like Instagram and Twitter foster the development of a "pseudo-language" through new phrases and repurposed vocabulary.
4 MY EMPIRICAL STUDY: This chapter details the methodology, results, and discussion of an online survey conducted to analyze participants' personal experiences with and opinions on modern word formation.
5 CONCLUSION: The final chapter summarizes the research findings, confirming that social media significantly contributes to language evolution and is essential for society's ability to express new circumstances.
Keywords
Morphology, Word Formation, Social Media, Neologism, Instagram, Twitter, Derivation, Compounding, Conversion, Clipping, Blending, Acronyms, Digital Age, Language Evolution, Questionnaire
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how social media platforms function as a catalyst for the creation of new words and how these neologisms impact our daily communication and society.
Which social media platforms are analyzed in the study?
The study specifically centers on Instagram and Twitter to identify and analyze common word formation processes used by their active users.
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to understand how new neologisms arise on social media, what morphological processes drive them, and whether users perceive these words as necessary evolutions of language.
What scientific methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a dual approach: a theoretical review of morphological word formation processes and an empirical study involving a 15-question online survey to gather quantitative and qualitative user data.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main sections cover the definition of morphology, detailed explanations of word formation (e.g., blending, acronyms, derivation), analysis of platform-specific language, and the findings of an empirical questionnaire.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include morphology, social media, word formation processes, neologism, Instagram, Twitter, and digital language evolution.
How does the author distinguish between "trends" and "efficient" language?
The author analyzes participant feedback to show that some words are viewed as temporary trends (like "YOLO"), while others are seen as efficient, lasting additions to the lexicon that save time in communication.
What role does the COVID-19 pandemic play in the author's argument?
The author uses the pandemic as an example of how urgent societal needs force language to adapt rapidly, confirming that creating new words is a necessary, agile process for modern society.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Jana Jovanovic (Autor:in), 2021, New Neologism in Social Media. Based of vocabulary of Instagram and Twitter, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1190354
