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For Wikipedia policy on neologisms, see Wikipedia:Avoid neologisms A neologism (pronounced /niˈɒlədʒɪzəm/); from Greek νές (neo 'new' + 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 Dictionary neologism was first used in print in AD 1483.
[edit] Other usesIn psychiatry, 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.[1] This is considered normal in children, but a symptom of thought disorder (indicative of a psychotic mental illness, such as schizophrenia) in adults.[2] People with autism also may create neologisms.[3] Use of neologisms may also be related to aphasia acquired after brain damage resulting from a stroke or head injury.[4] In theology, a neologism is a relatively new doctrine (for example, rationalism). In this sense, a neologist is one who proposes either a new doctrine or a new interpretation of source material such as religious texts. [edit] BackgroundNeologisms are often created by combining existing words (see compound noun and adjective) or by giving words new and unique suffixes or prefixes. Portmanteaux are combined words that begin to be used commonly. Neologisms also can be created through abbreviation or acronym, by intentionally rhyming with existing words or simply through playing with sounds. Neologisms often become popular through memetics, by way of mass media, the Internet, and word of mouth, 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. [edit] ProtologismA protologism is a new word created in the hope that it will become accepted. A protologism may be no more than suggestion of a word that might be used, whereas a neologism is a word that has been used. The term protologism, itself a neologism, was coined by Mikhail Epstein in 2003.[5] Neologisms don't necessarily begin as protologisms since they may arise rapidly and unintentionally. [edit] Evolution of neologismsNewly-created words entering a language tend to pass through the following stages:[citation needed]
[edit] Sources of neologism
Popular examples of neologism can be found in science, fiction, branding, literature,linguistic and popular culture. [edit] ScienceWords or phrases created to describe new scientific hypotheses, discoveries, or inventions include:
[edit] Science fictionConcepts created to describe new, futuristic ideas include,
[edit] Literature more generallySee "Neologisms in literature" topic below. [edit] PoliticsSee also Category:Political neologisms Words or phrases created to make some kind of political or rhetorical point, sometimes perhaps with an eye to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, include:
[edit] Corporate brandingWords coined to name or re-brand corporations and signifying new meaning include:
[edit] DesignWords created to describe new kinds of objects and concepts originating in various types of design include:
[edit] Popular cultureWords or phrases evolved from mass media content or used to describe popular cultural phenomena (these may be considered a variety of slang as well as neologisms) include:
[edit] Commerce and advertisingGenericised trademarks include: [edit] LinguisticsWords or phrases created to describe new language constructs include:
[edit] OtherMiscellaneous sources include:
[edit] Neologisms in literatureMany 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: "grok" (to achieve complete intuitive understanding), from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein; "McJob", from Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture by Douglas Coupland; "cyberspace", from Neuromancer by William Gibson; "nymphet" from Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Sometimes the title of a book becomes the neologism, for instance, Catch-22 (from the title of Joseph Heller'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" (from George Orwell, referring to his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four) and "Ballardesque" or "Ballardian" (from J.G. Ballard, author of Crash). Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle was the container of the Bokononism family of nonce words. Another category is words derived from famous characters in literature, such as quixotic (referring to the titular character in Don Quixote de la Mancha by Cervantes), a scrooge (from the main character in Dickens's A Christmas Carol), or a pollyanna (from Eleanor H. Porter's book of the same name). James Joyce's Finnegans Wake, composed in a uniquely complex linguistic style, coined the words monomyth and quark. Lewis Carroll has been called "the king of neologistic poems" because of his poem, "Jabberwocky", which incorporated dozens of invented words. The early modern English prose writings of Sir Thomas Browne are the source of many neologisms as recorded by the OED. [edit] Quotation
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[edit] External links[edit] General information
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[edit] Foreign languages
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