Definition of neologisms

A neologism (from Greek neo = "new" + logos = "word") is a word that, although devised relatively recently in a specific time period, has been accepted into a mainstream language. By definition, neologisms are "new", and as such are often directly attributable to a specific individual, publication, period, or event. The term neologism was coined around 1803 and can also refer to an existing word or phrase which has been assigned a new meaning. Neologisms are especially useful in identifying inventions, new phenomena, or old ideas which have taken on a new cultural context. Thus the basic purpose of new words is to fill representational gaps new meanings or new mental concepts open on a special step of technological, scientific or social development.

Neologisms are called “nonce” words (from the 16th century phrase meaning ′for the once′). A “nonce-word” is one that is constructed to serve a need of the moment. The writer is not seriously putting forward his word as one that is to have an independent existence for the future; he merely has a fancy to it for this once. The motives of word creation can be of two types: pragmatic and esthetic. The first one implies social or technological development: changes in society, whether material or intellectual, call for new words; and the more intense the social change, the more need we have to name new things or rename old one, whereas the latter one defines the creative feature of a language: we use some new words because we take delight in them. [15]

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