Neologismos

Neologismos, in Spanish linguistics, refer to newly coined words or new uses of existing words that enter a language’s vocabulary. They often arise to name innovations, technologies, cultural phenomena, or social practices and can reflect changes across science, technology, politics, and daily life. Neologismos may be created through word formation processes such as derivation, compounding, blending, clipping, acronymization, or calquing, and may also be borrowed from other languages with or without adaptation.

Origins and processes: A neologismo may be built from roots already present in the language or borrowed from another language. Blends combine parts of words (for example, a term formed from elements of two existing words), calques translate a foreign term into native morphemes, and acronyms form from initial letters. Semantic shifts can give a new sense to an existing word, producing a neologismo in a new guise. Technology and globalization are major drivers of coinage.

Acceptance and standardization: Not all neologismos become established; many remain in limited use or in slang. Lexicographers and language authorities track coinages and decide whether to include them in dictionaries, style guides, or official terminology. Some neologismos become widely used and endure, while others fade as trends pass. The study of neologismos, or neología in Spanish, helps describe how languages adapt to change.

Examples: In recent decades, terms like blog, emoji, selfie, tuitear (to tweet), and wifi illustrate how new technology and media generate neologismos across languages, while local coinages adapt to the sound patterns and orthography of the respective language.