Language and words as its basis are tools to communicate meaning.
Language is the key to successful cultural and social living which depends on exchanging
(encoding and decoding) meaning. Therefore new words are assigned to refer to new
meanings. New words and especially coinages (invented, totally new terms) appear in the
emerging fields of society: in the televised contemporary history, in (counter)culture, in
advanced technology and even in daily smalltalk.
'McJob', 'artsy', 'daisy-cutter', 'MIDI', 'emoticon', 'carjacking' or 'cyberspace' to name just a
view recent examples, show the great variety of new words. Due to the complexity and the
on-going developments this paper makes no demand to giving a complete description. The
attempt is to analyse basic concepts and further to sketch relevant areas of neologisms
(dictionary-approved new words). 1 Definitions
In order to the major question of this paper, it's important to define clearly what "new
words" are – "a new word is a form or the use of a form not recorded in general dictionaries".
(Algeo 1991: 2) The crucial condition for the inclusion in dictionaries is frequent usage.
A dictionary which is a source of neologisms is the Oxford Dictionary of New Words.
The editor, S. Tulloch defines a condition: "[…] whether or not the general public was made
aware of […] a new word is any word, phrase, or meaning that came into popular use in
English or enjoyed a vogue during the eighties and […] nineties." (Tulloch. ODNW 1991: v)
The lexiographical procedure seems to be quite important in defining neologisms.
An example by D. Crystal gets things straight (cf. Crystal 1995: 132). As mentioned in the
introduction the basic purpose of new words is to fill representational gaps new meanings or
new mental concepts open. One type of new word is nonce words (from the 16th century
phrase 'for the nonce', meaning 'for the once') which are produced to solve communication
difficulties: Somone who wants to describe excess water on a road uses the word fuddle –
meaning something bigger than a puddle but smaller than a flood. [...]
Table of Contents
0 INTRO
I BASIC CONCEPTS
1 Definition
2 Lexical Institutionalization
3 Typologies
4 Motivation
II CLASSIFICATIONS
1 Shortenings
2 Combination forms
3 Lexical Phrases and Conversions
III RELEVANT AREAS
1 contemporary history
2 postmodern literature
3 technology
Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the linguistic origins and development of new words, exploring how they emerge within societal fields and become institutionalized in the English language. The research focuses on the mechanisms of word formation and the socio-cultural contexts that drive lexical innovation.
- The theoretical definition and institutionalization process of neologisms
- Taxonomies and motivations for word creation
- Methods of word formation including shortenings and derivations
- The impact of contemporary history and postmodern literature on language
- Technological advancements as a primary driver for new vocabulary
Excerpt from the Book
1 Definitions
In order to the major question of this paper, it's important to define clearly what "new words" are – "a new word is a form or the use of a form not recorded in general dictionaries". (Algeo 1991: 2) The crucial condition for the inclusion in dictionaries is frequent usage. A dictionary which is a source of neologisms is the Oxford Dictionary of New Words. The editor, S. Tulloch defines a condition: "[…] whether or not the general public was made aware of […] a new word is any word, phrase, or meaning that came into popular use in English or enjoyed a vogue during the eighties and […] nineties." (Tulloch. ODNW 1991: v)
The lexiographical procedure seems to be quite important in defining neologisms. An example by D. Crystal gets things straight (cf. Crystal 1995: 132). As mentioned in the introduction the basic purpose of new words is to fill representational gaps new meanings or new mental concepts open. One type of new word is nonce words (from the 16th century phrase 'for the nonce', meaning 'for the once') which are produced to solve communication difficulties: Somone who wants to describe excess water on a road uses the word fuddle – meaning something bigger than a puddle but smaller than a flood. The act of creating the word wasn't intended, but directly produced – made up for the nonce.
Summary of Chapters
0 INTRO: Provides an overview of the role of language in social communication and introduces the phenomenon of neologisms.
I BASIC CONCEPTS: Discusses the criteria for defining new words, the process of lexical institutionalization, and various typologies and motivations behind word formation.
II CLASSIFICATIONS: Categorizes different word-formation processes, specifically focusing on shortenings, combination forms, and lexical phrases.
III RELEVANT AREAS: Analyzes the influence of contemporary history, postmodern literature, and technology on the emergence and adoption of new vocabulary.
Keywords
Neologisms, Lexical Institutionalization, Word-Formation, Linguistics, Etymology, Shortenings, Derivations, Nonce Words, Contemporary History, Postmodern Literature, Technology, Cyberspace, Linguistic Signs, Semantics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this paper?
The paper explores the origins of new words in the English language, analyzing how they are formed, how they gain recognition, and the societal factors that influence their emergence.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The research covers linguistic theory regarding new word formation, the process of institutionalization, and specific lexical developments within the fields of technology, history, and literature.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The objective is to analyze basic concepts of neologisms and sketch the relevant areas where new vocabulary originates and is adopted into official language usage.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The paper employs a qualitative analysis of linguistic theory and examines secondary literature, corpus data, and historical usage to categorize and explain new word phenomena.
What topics are addressed in the main body?
The main body details the definition of new words, Saussure’s language models, various word-formation types like blends and clippings, and case studies from postmodern literature and technological advancements.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include neologisms, lexical institutionalization, word-formation, semantics, and language change.
How does the author define a "nonce word" in this context?
A nonce word is defined as an unintended, spontaneously produced term created to solve immediate communication difficulties, which may eventually evolve into a formal neologism.
Why is the "langue-parole" model important for understanding new words?
It is essential for distinguishing between an individual’s creative act of speech (parole) and the successful process of a word being adopted into the established language structure (langue).
- Quote paper
- Robert Scheutz (Author), 2003, Where do new words come from?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/14767
