neological

Neological is an adjective relating to neology, the study of the creation and adoption of new words or new senses in a language. The term is used to describe processes and phenomena associated with coinage, diffusion, and lexicalization of neologisms, as well as vocabulary that emerges through borrowing or semantic extension. A neologism is a newly coined word or expression, or a new sense assigned to an existing word; neology covers the wider set of practices by which such forms enter everyday speech and written language. In some contexts, neological describes not only the form of a word but its social or cultural functions as a tool for innovation, identity, or technology.

Applications and scope: In linguistics and lexicography, neological change is tracked to document contemporary vocabulary, especially in fast-evolving domains such as information technology, science, and online culture. Neological terms may be initially informal or domain-specific and may become established over time, undergo semantic shifts, or fade away. The study often considers phonological fit, morphological productivity, semantic transparency, and social diffusion to explain why certain neologisms persist.

Etymology: Neology comes from Greek neos 'new' and logos 'speech' or 'study.' The adjective neological thus denotes relation to this field or to new-word phenomena.