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THE ROLE OF NEOLOGISMS IN BRITISH NEWSPAPERS
Azimova Sevara Jamshid Qizi
Student of group 2147, the 3
rd
English faculty, UzSWLU
Scientific advisor:
Seytimbetova Aykumar Pulatbaeva
Annotation.
The theoretical underpinnings and historical evolution of
neologisms in the English language are examined in this article. It illustrates the
primary language theories—structural, etymological, stylistic, and lexicographic—that
are used to investigate neologisms. The study looks at the technological and
sociocultural elements that influence the creation of new lexical units and assesses how
they contribute to the ever-changing English vocabulary. The procedures by which
words are formed and the standards by which neologisms are incorporated into
common usage are given special consideration. According to the article's conclusion,
neologisms are a crucial component of linguistic evolution and a reflection of social
change.
Key words:
neologisms, word formation, lexical innovation, vocabulary
development, stylistic approach, structural theory, etymology, socio-cultural factors,
language evolution, linguistic change, new lexical units.
Аннотация
.
В этой статье рассматриваются теоретические основы и
историческая эволюция неологизмов в английском языке. Она иллюстрирует
основные языковые теории — структурную, этимологическую, стилистическую
и лексикографическую, — которые используются для изучения неологизмов. В
исследовании рассматриваются технологические и социокультурные элементы,
которые влияют на создание новых лексических единиц, и оценивается их вклад
в постоянно меняющийся словарный запас английского языка. Особое внимание
уделяется процедурам образования слов и стандартам, по которым неологизмы
входят в обиход. Согласно заключению статьи, неологизмы являются
важнейшим компонентом лингвистической эволюции и отражением изменений
в обществе.
Ключевые слова:
неологизмы, словообразование, лексические инновации,
развитие словарного запаса, стилистический подход, структурная теория,
этимология, социокультурные факторы, эволюция языка, лингвистические
изменения, новые лексические единицы.
In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving society, language constantly adapts to
reflect new realities, technologies, and cultural shifts. One of the most vibrant
indicators of this adaptation is the emergence of neologisms. The English language,
like many others, is currently experiencing what researchers call a "neological boom."
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Neologisms—newly coined words, expressions, or meanings of existing words—are a
crucial component of linguistic evolution. [1] The Cambridge English Dictionary
defines a neologism as “a new word or expression, or a new meaning for an existing
word.” In academic contexts, linguists also refer to this phenomenon as "coinage". [5]
According to Algeo, neologisms regularly enter the language due to social, cultural,
and technological changes, constantly expanding vocabulary boundaries. [6]
From a theoretical perspective, neologisms are analyzed through several
linguistic lenses. The stylistic theory explores how new words function in different
discourse types. [7] The denotation theory emphasizes the connection between a word
and the concept it names. The structural theory studies the internal construction of
neologisms. Meanwhile, etymological theory focuses on word origins, and
lexicographic theory addresses how neologisms are recorded in dictionaries. These
approaches reflect the interdisciplinary interest in neology, revealing how neologisms
are born, evolved, and entrenched in everyday use. [4]
The development of neologisms is deeply rooted in history. Ancient civilizations
like Greece and Rome introduced new terms—such as “philosophy,” “democracy,”
and “drama”—to express abstract concepts and social systems. During the Renaissance
(16th–17th centuries), scientific and artistic progress surge led to a massive influx of
borrowed terms from Latin, Greek, French, and other languages. This period was
marked by the rise of so-called "inkhorn terms," which provoked controversy among
purists who feared for the integrity of the English language, for example, inkhorn word-
Eximious -> Modern Equivalent / Meaning = Excellent; Ingent = huge, vast.
The Industrial Revolution and subsequent technological advancements in the
19th and 20th centuries necessitated new words to describe inventions like the
automobile, airplane, and
c
omputer. The 20th century also gave rise to specialized
jargon in fields such as medicine and engineering. More recently, the digital age has
significantly accelerated neologism formation. Terms like blog, selfie, tweet, and emoji
have become ubiquitous, reflecting the influence of technology and global
communication. [3]
Neologisms are primarily the result of extralinguistic factors—societal changes,
scientific breakthroughs, technological innovations, and cultural shifts. However,
intralinguistic factors also play a role, such as productive word-formation patterns and
the adaptability of language structures. For instance, new terms may be formed through
affixation
(e.g., eco-friendly),
blending
(e.g., brunch)
,
abbreviation
(e.g., app)
, or
borrowing
(e.g., karaoke from Japanese).
According to Russian linguist V. I. Zabotkina divides neologisms into
phonological
(to the group of phonological neologisms, we conventionally include
new words formed from interjections, for example:"
zizz
" — means a short sleep
(simulates the sounds produced by a sleeping person, often used in comics with three
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letters zzZ)),
borrowing
(
meme
(in the modern internet sense — a spreadable cultural
element) — although the word was coined by Richard Dawkins, its origin is connected
to the French word
même
("the same").),
semantic
(
Cloud
- original meaning: A mass
of condensed water vapor in the sky; New (Neologistic) meaning: Internet storage
system
(
"cloud computing"
)) and
syntactic
(Most new lexical units in English are
created on the basis of the methods of word formation already available in the language,
such as word composition, fusion, abbreviations, affixation, etc.). A productive
syntactic way of forming new words is blending
(breakfast + lunch → brunch; slang
+ language → slanguage; sheep + goat → shoat)
Having understood their
classification and delving into the material, ye can distinguish two types of emerging
from the above are morphological and phraseological types. Morphological still
subdivided into affixal (suffixal and prefixal), structure, convection, reduction. [2]
Importantly, neologisms contribute significantly to word formation in English.
They reflect the dynamic nature of vocabulary as the most flexible and responsive
component of language. The emergence of neologisms shows how closely language is
tied to social realities. Every new invention, trend, or phenomenon demands a name,
and language responds accordingly.
Modern linguists recognize neology as an independent field of study, focusing
on the mechanisms behind lexical innovation and its implications for communication
(e.g., neologism:
quarantine
(reborrowed and recontextualized during the COVID-19
pandemic)). Mechanism: semantic shift and revival — the word existed but gained a
drastically expanded meaning and frequency during the pandemic. Linguistic
implication: reflects how crises accelerate neologisms and shift word usage globally
.
Communication impact: allowed rapid, shared understanding across languages and
cultures. This field examines how new words enter the lexicon, how they gain
acceptance, and how they reflect cultural identity. The national language serves as a
mirror of a nation’s intellectual, spiritual, and cultural development. Thus, the creation
of neologisms is both a linguistic and a cultural process.
According to the analysis, neologisms play a vital role in the development of the
English language. They serve as markers of progress, innovation, and change. Whether
born from scientific discoveries, technological tools, or cultural phenomena,
neologisms enrich the language and reflect society's evolving needs and experiences.
As long as human civilization continues to advance, language will continue to evolve,
adapting itself through the continuous generation of new lexical units.
List of literature:
1.
Yue Zhang (2023). Linguodidactic aspects of new words study in the English
Language
2.
Zabotkina V. I. "New vocabulary of modern English".
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3.
The History of Neologisms. (n.d.). Writers.
https://vocal.media/writers/the-
4.
Yashina, M. G., & Polyakova, N. V. (2017). Neologizmy v publitsisticheskom
diskurse inostrannogo yazyka: metodika prepodavaniya (na materiale
ital'yanskogo i frantsuzskogo yazykov) [Neologisms in Publicistic Discourse of
Foreign Language: Methods of Teaching (Based on Italian and French
Languages)]. Scientific dialogue, 6, 287-298.
5.
Crystal, D. (2002). The Penguin Dictionary of Language. Penguin Books.
6.
Algeo, J. (1980). Where do all the new words come from. American Speech, 55(4),
264 - 277.
7.
Ratsiburskaya, L. V., & Solovyeva, D. V. (2018). Mediynyye novoobrazovaniya
kak faktor kommunikativnykh riskov [Media Neologisms as a Factor of
Communicative Risks]. Science Journal of Volgograd State University.
Linguistics, 17(4), 81-89.
