A
neologism ; from
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records...
νέος (
neos 'new') + λόγος (
logos 'word') is a newly coined word that may be in the process of entering common use, but has not yet been accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are often directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event. According to
Oxford English DictionaryThe Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is a dictionary of the English language. Two fully-bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989...
the term
neologism was first used in print in 1483.
Other uses
In
psychiatryPsychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders—which include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual disorders. The term was first coined by the German physician Johann Christian Reil in 1808...
, the term
neologism is used to describe the use of words that only have meaning to the person who uses them, independent of their common meaning. This is considered normal in children, but a symptom of
thought disorderIn psychiatry, thought disorder or formal thought disorder is a term used to describe a pattern of disordered language use that is presumed to reflect disordered thinking. It is usually considered a symptom of psychotic mental illness, although it occasionally appears in other conditions. For...
(indicative of a
psychoticPsychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
mental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern associated with distress or disability that occurs in an individual and is not a part of normal development or culture...
, such as
schizophreniaSchizophrenia is a severe mental illness characterized by a disintegration of the process of thinking, of contact with reality, and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking with...
) in adults.
People with
autismAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
also may create neologisms.
Use of neologisms may also be related to
aphasiaAphasia is an acquired language disorder in which there is an impairment of any language modality. This may include difficulty in producing or comprehending spoken or written language....
acquired after
brain damage"Brain damage" or "brain injury" ; means the destruction or degeneration of brain cells, often with an implication that the loss is significant in terms of functioning or conscious experience. It is a common and very broad in scope, such that in medicine a vast range of specific diagnoses exist. ...
resulting from a
strokeA stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage or due to a hemorrhage...
or
head injuryTraumatic brain injury occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...
.
In
theologyTheology is the study of a god or, more generally, the study of religious faith, practice, and experience, or of spirituality.- Definition :Augustine of Hippo defined the Latin equivalent, theologia, as "reasoning or discussion concerning the Deity", Richard Hooker defined "theology" in English as...
, a neologism is a relatively new doctrine (for example,
rationalismIn epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
). In this sense, a neologist is one who proposes either a new doctrine or a new interpretation of source material such as religious texts.
Background
Neologisms are often created by combining existing words (see compound noun and adjective) or by giving words new and unique
suffixIn linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
es or prefixes.
PortmanteauA portmanteau or portmanteau word is used broadly to mean a blend of two words or morphemes and their meanings into one new word...
x are combined words that begin to be used commonly. Neologisms also can be created through
abbreviationAn abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
or acronym, by intentionally
rhymingA rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
with existing words or simply through playing with sounds.
Neologisms can become popular through
memeticsMemetics is a term coined by Douglas Hofstadter in the 1980s, relating to the notion of meme, introduced by Richard Dawkins, as genetics relates to that of gene....
, by way of
mass mediaMass media denotes a section of the media specifically designed to reach a large audience. The term was coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio networks, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines...
, the
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, and
word of mouthWord of mouth is a reference to the passing of information from person to person. Originally the term referred specifically to oral communication , but now includes any type of human communication, such as face-to-face, telephone, email, and text messaging.-History of word of mouth marketing:One of...
, including academic discourse in many fields renowned for their use of distinctive jargon, and often become accepted parts of the language. Other times, however, they disappear from common use just as readily as they appeared. Whether a neologism continues as part of the language depends on many factors, probably the most important of which is acceptance by the public. It is unusual, however, for a word to enter common use if it does not resemble another word or words in an identifiable way.
When a word or phrase is no longer "new", it is no longer a neologism. Neologisms may take decades to become "old", however. Opinions differ on exactly how old a word must be to cease being considered a neologism.
Sources
Popular examples of neologism can be found in science, fiction, branding, literature, linguistic and popular culture. Examples include
laserLight Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation is a mechanism for emitting electromagnetic radiation, typically light or visible light, via the process of stimulated emission. The emitted laser light is a spatially coherent, narrow low-divergence beam, that can be manipulated with lenses...
(1960) from
Light
Amplification by
Stimulated
Emission of
Radiation,
roboticsRobotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, and their design, manufacture, application, and structural disposition. Robotics is related to electronics, mechanics, and software.
(1941),
genocideGenocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group.While a precise definition varies among genocide scholars, a legal definition is found in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime...
(1943), and
agitpropAgitprop is a portmanteau of agitation and propaganda. The term originated in Bolshevist Russia , where the term was a shortened form of отдел агитации и пропаганды , i.e., Department for Agitation and Propaganda, which was part of the Central and regional committees of the Communist Party of the...
(1930s).
Literature
Many neologisms have come from popular literature and tend to appear in different forms. Most commonly, they are simply taken from a word used in the narrative of a book; a few representative examples are: "
grokTo grok is to share the same reality or line of thinking with another physical or conceptual entity. Author Robert A. Heinlein coined the term in his best-selling 1961 book Stranger in a Strange Land. In Heinlein's view, grokking is the intermingling of intelligence that necessarily affects both...
" (to achieve complete intuitive understanding), from
Stranger in a Strange LandStranger in a Strange Land is a best-selling 1961 Hugo Award-winning science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human raised by Martians on the planet Mars, after his return to Earth in early adulthood. The novel explores his interaction with—and...
by
Robert A. HeinleinRobert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called "the dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of the genre. He set a high standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's...
; "
McJobMcJob is slang for a low-paying, low-prestige job that requires few skills and offers very little chance of intracompany advancement. Such jobs are also known as contingent work...
", from
Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated CultureGeneration X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, published by St. Martin's Press in 1991, is the first novel by Douglas Coupland. The novel popularized the term Generation X, which refers to Americans and Canadians who reached adulthood in the late 1980s...
by
Douglas CouplandDouglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
; "
cyberspaceCyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.It is readily identified with the interconnected information technology required to achieve the wide range of system capabilities associated with the transport of communication and control products...
", from
NeuromancerNeuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, notable for being the most famous early cyberpunk novel and winner of the science-fiction "triple crown" — the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's first novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy...
by
William GibsonWilliam Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:*William Gibson , English Catholic martyr...
; "
nymphetThe term nymphet was used by Vladimir Nabokov in the novel Lolita to describe the 9- to 14-year-old girls to whom the protagonist is attracted. In today's popular press the term is sometimes applied to women in their late teens or early twenties....
" from
LolitaLolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris, later translated by the author into Russian and published in 1958 in New York...
by
Vladimir NabokovVladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian-American novelist and short story writer....
.
Sometimes the title of a book becomes the neologism, for instance,
Catch-22Catch-22 is a satirical, historical novel by the American author Joseph Heller, first published in 1961. The novel, set during the later stages of World War II from 1943 onwards, is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the twentieth century...
(from the title of
Joseph HellerJoseph Heller was an American satirical novelist, short story writer and playwright. He wrote the influential novel Catch-22 about American servicemen during World War II...
's novel). Alternately, the author's name may become the neologism, although the term is sometimes based on only one work of that author. This includes such words as "
Orwellian"Orwellian" describes the situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free society...
" (from
George OrwellEric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
, referring to his novel
Nineteen Eighty-FourNineteen Eighty-Four is a 1949 dystopian novel by George Orwell about the totalitarian regime of the Party. The novel depicts an oligarchical collectivist society where life in the Oceanian province of Airstrip One is a world of perpetual war, pervasive government surveillance, and incessant...
) and "Ballardesque" or "Ballardian" (from J.G. Ballard, author of
Crash). The word "sadistic" is derived from the cruel sexual practices
Marquis de SadeDonatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat, revolutionary and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle. His works include novels, short stories, plays, and political tracts; in his lifetime some were published under his own name, while others appeared...
described in his novels.
Kurt VonnegutKurt Vonnegut, Jr. was an American novelist who wrote works blending satire, black comedy, and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five , Cat's Cradle , and Breakfast of Champions . He was known for his humanist beliefs as well as being honorary president of the American Humanist Association...
's
Cat's CradleCat's Cradle is a 1963 novel by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. It explores issues of science, technology, and religion, satirizing the arms race and many other targets along the way...
was the container of the
BokononismBokononism is the fictional religion practiced by many of the characters in Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle.It is based on the concept of foma, which are defined as harmless untruths. The primary tenet of Bokononism is to "Live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy."...
family of nonce words.
Another category is words derived from famous characters in literature, such as
quixoticQuixotic may refer to:* Quixotic, an adjective deriving from the novel Don Quixote* Quixotic, an album by Martina Topley-Bird* DJ Quixotic, a Los Angeles-based record producer...
(referring to the
titular character, fully titled The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha , is a novel written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes...
in
Don Quixote de la Mancha by
Cervantes-People:*Alfonso J. Cervantes , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri*Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, 16th-century man of letters*Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban composer*Jorge Cervantes, a world-renowned expert on indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cannabis cultivation...
), a
scroogeScrooge is a common English term for a miserly person.It may refer to:*Ebenezer Scrooge, the name of the selfish and miserly protagonist of Charles Dickens' 1843 novel A Christmas Carol ....
(from the main character in Dickens's
A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol
[The first edition title page in its entirety reads: A CHRISTMAS CAROL. / IN PROSE. / Being / A Ghost Story of Christmas. / BY / CHARLES DICKENS / WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN LEECH. / LONDON / CHAPMAN & HALL, 186, STRAND...]
), or a
pollyannaPollyanna is a best-selling 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter that is now considered a classic of children's literature, with the title character's name becoming a popular term for someone with the same optimistic outlook. The book was such a success that Porter soon produced a sequel, Pollyanna...
(from
Eleanor H. PorterEleanor Hodgman Porter was an American novelist.Born in Littleton, New Hampshire, Eleanor Hodgman was trained as a singer but later turned to writing. In 1892, she married John Lyman Porter and moved to Massachusetts...
's book of the same name).
James JoyceJames Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish writer and poet, widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Along with Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, and others, Joyce was a key figure in the development of the modernist novel. He is best known for his landmark...
's
Finnegans WakeFinnegans Wake is a work of comic fiction by Irish author James Joyce, significant for its experimental style and resulting reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language. Written in Paris over a period of seventeen years, and published in 1939, two years before...
, composed in a uniquely complex linguistic style, coined the words
monomythJoseph Campbell's term monomyth, also referred to as the hero's journey, refers to a basic pattern found in many narratives from around the world. This widely distributed pattern was described by Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces...
and
quarkA quark is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. Due to a phenomenon known as color confinement, quarks are never found in...
.
Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and a photographer...
has been called "the king of neologistic poems" because of his poem, "
Jabberwocky"Jabberwocky" is a poem of nonsense verse written by Lewis Carroll, originally featured as a part of his novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There . It is considered by many to be one of the greatest nonsense poems written in the English language...
", which incorporated dozens of invented words. The early modern English prose writings of
Sir Thomas BrowneSir Thomas Browne was an English author of varied works which disclose his wide learning in diverse fields including medicine, religion, science and the esoteric....
are the source of many neologisms as recorded by the
OEDThe Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is a dictionary of the English language. Two fully-bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989...
.
The children's book
FrindleFrindle is a 1996 children's novel written by American author Andrew Clements and illustrated by Brian Selznick.Frindle is Clements's first novel. All his previous works had been picture books...
by Andrew Clements is a story about neologism.
See also
- aureation
Aureation is a device in arts of rhetoric that involves the "gilding" of diction in one language by the introduction of terms from another, typically a classical language considered to be more prestigious. It can be seen as analogous to gothic schools of ornamentation in carving, painting or...
- jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, or group. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
- nonce word
A nonce word is a word used only "for the nonce"—to meet a need that is not expected to recur. Quark, for example, was formerly a nonce word in English, appearing only in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. Murray Gell-Mann then adopted it to name a new class of subatomic particle...
- portmanteau
- retronym
A retronym is a new name for an object or concept to differentiate the original form or version of it from a more recent form or version. The original name is most often augmented with an adjective to account for later developments of the object or concept itself...
- syllabic abbreviations
- word formation
In linguistics, word formation is the creation of a new word. Word formation is sometimes contrasted with semantic change, which is a change in a single word's meaning...
General information
Wiktionary
- Wiktionary: Neologisms
- Wiktionary: Neologisms unstable
- Wiktionary: Neologisms diffused
- Wiktionary: Neologisms stable
- protologism
Indices
Foreign languages