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Terminology
Theory - Session 3 - 28-11-2021

Christian Olalla-Soler
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Neologisms
▪ A new lexical unit specifically created to meet a specific need in a communicative
situation in areas such as science and technology or in the media.

▪ Neologisms are usually created in the language spoken by the the society in which the
notions they designate originate. Then, they are exported to other languages either
directly or by means of a vehicular language which acts as an intermediary.

▪ Neologisms are generally accepted if:

▪ They are formed following the linguistic criteria of the language (in which they
originate or are exported to). E.g. in Italian or Spanish, does the neologism allow
for inflection?
▪ They are widely adopted by the community of speakers.
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Types of neologisms
▪ Stylistic neologisms. They are formed to avoid negative connotations of other
words. They can also be used to give a sense of effectiveness or
professionalism. E.g.,: hard of hearing, hearing impaired, etc., deceased vs.
dead.
▪ Technological neologisms. They are formed to designate a new scientific or
technological element, such as a machine, an illness, a manufacturing process,
etc.
▪ Social neologisms. They are formed as a result of the evolution of the customs
and structures of a society. E.g., committee, strike, assembly, collective
agreement.
▪ Functional neologisms. They are used to make communication more effective,
e.g., by using existing words in other languages, using acronyms and
abbreviations, etc.
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Professional terminologists
for one day

▪ Make groups of 3/4 students.

▪ Read the text.

▪ You will need to come up with an equivalent for your neologism.

▪ Explain what procedure(s) you used to create the Italian neologism

and justify why you think that it is a good neologism.