neologisms

Neologisms are newly coined words or phrases, or newly assigned senses of existing words, that enter a language's lexicon. They arise through creative word formation, borrowing from other languages, or broadening and shifting of existing meanings, and they can function as slang, jargon, or everyday vocabulary.

Neologisms form in several ways. Blending combines parts of two words (brunch from breakfast + lunch). Clipping shortens longer forms (fridge from refrigerator). Compounding joins two or more words (smartphone, crowdfund). Acronyms and initialisms abbreviate phrases (RADAR, LOL). Back-formation creates a new word by removing an apparent affix (edit from editor). Calques translate elements from another language (desktop publishing, long before widely used as a single term). Semantic shift assigns new meanings to existing words (mouse as a computer device; cloud referring to online storage). Borrowings from other languages and technical jargon commonly contribute neologisms, especially in science, technology, culture, and youth slang.

Diffusion and lifespan vary. Some neologisms spread quickly through social media, journalism, and popular culture, while others remain niche or die out. Dictionaries and corpora later document widely used terms, helping to stabilize spelling, pronunciation, and meaning. Over time, neologisms may become standard vocabulary or fade into obsolescence.

Notable examples include blog (weblog), selfie, hashtag, Brexit (Britain + exit), photobomb, crowdfunding, and emoji. The study of neologisms sheds light on linguistic creativity, social change, and the evolving needs of language users.