Neologism

In linguistics, a neologism (/niˈɒləˌdʒɪzəm/, /nioʊˈloʊ-/; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has gained popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language.

Neologisms are one facet of lexical innovation, i.e., the linguistic process of new terms and meanings entering a language's lexicon. The most precise studies into language change and word formation, in fact, identify the process of a "neological continuum": a nonce word is any single-use term that may or may not grow in popularity; a protologism is such a term used exclusively within a small group; a prelogism is such a term that is gaining usage but is still not mainstream; and a neologism has become accepted or recognized by social institutions.

Neologisms are often driven by changes in culture and technology. Popular examples of neologisms can arise and be found in nearly all aspects of human life and culture, from science to technology, to the arts, to fiction (notably science fiction), to films, to television, to commercial branding, to literature, to jargon, to cant, to linguistics and to popular culture.

Examples of neologisms are sorted by time and they include the tags to their source:

Neologisms are often formed by combining existing words (see compound noun and adjective) or by giving words new and unique suffixes or prefixes. Neologisms can also be formed by blending words, for example, "brunch" is a blend of the words "breakfast" and "lunch", or through abbreviation or acronym, by intentionally rhyming with existing words or simply through playing with sounds. A relatively rare form of neologism is when proper names are used as words (e.g., boycott, from Charles Boycott), including guy, dick, Chad, and Karen.

Neologisms can become popular through memetics, through 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, 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 for a word to gain popularity if it does not clearly resemble other words.

The term "neologism" is first attested in English in 1772, borrowed from the French "néologisme" (1734). The French word derives from the Greek νέο (néo), meaning "new", and λόγος (lógos), meaning "speech, utterance".

In an academic sense, there are no professional neologists, because the study of such things (e.g., of cultural or ethnic vernacular) is interdisciplinary. Anyone such as a lexicographer or an etymologist might study neologisms, how their uses span the scope of human expression, and how, due to science and technology, they now spread more rapidly than ever.