Neologisms in Social Media. A Corpus-Based Study of Institutionalization

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 Theoretical Framework

2.1 English in a Global Context - "Three Circle Model"

2.2 Roswitha Fischer - "Lexical Change in Present-Day English"

2.2.1 The Concept of Neologisms

2.2.2 Motivation

2.2.3 Productivity

2.2.4 Institutionalization

2.3 Hypothesis

3 Practical Part

3.1 Data

3.2 Method

4 Results & Discussion

4.1 Results

4.2 Discussion

5 Conclusion

Objectives and Research Themes

This thesis aims to investigate the institutionalization of neologisms in social media, specifically within blogs, by analyzing their usage frequencies across different English-speaking countries. The primary research question centers on whether the frequency of such neologisms is significantly higher in "inner circle" countries compared to "outer circle" countries, testing the hypothesis that inner circle varieties serve as the primary source for the establishment and dissemination of new terms.

• Institutionalization process of neologisms in a global context.
• Application of Braj Kachru's "Three Circle Model" to modern web-based language data.
• Corpus-based analysis of 20 selected neologisms using the "Corpus of Global Web-based English" (GloWbE).
• Evaluation of socio-economic and structural factors influencing lexical spread.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1 Introduction: This chapter defines neologisms as products of language change and introduces the rising importance of social media platforms as drivers for lexical innovation.

2 Theoretical Framework: This section provides the necessary linguistic foundation, utilizing Kachru’s "Three Circle Model" to explain global English varieties and Fischer’s theory on the institutionalization of neologisms.

3 Practical Part: This chapter outlines the methodology, focusing on the GloWbE corpus and the criteria for selecting 20 specific neologisms to be analyzed.

4 Results & Discussion: This section presents the empirical findings through statistical analysis and discusses why specific terms follow or deviate from the established hypothesis.

5 Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, confirming the higher frequency of neologisms in inner circle countries while acknowledging the role of word-form characteristics in exceptional cases.

Keywords

Neologisms, Social Media, Blogs, Institutionalization, World Englishes, Corpus Linguistics, Lexical Change, GloWbE, Kachru, Fischer, Word-formation, Globalization, Frequency, Language Change, Standard English

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research?

The research investigates how new words, or neologisms, become institutionalized in the English language, specifically looking at how their usage frequency differs between blog posts from inner circle and outer circle English-speaking countries.

What are the central thematic fields covered?

The work combines sociolinguistics, specifically World Englishes, with lexicology, focusing on word-formation processes and the impact of digital media on language evolution.

What is the primary objective of this thesis?

The goal is to test the hypothesis that neologisms appear with higher frequency in blogs originating from inner circle countries, which are seen as norm-providing, compared to outer circle countries.

Which scientific methods are utilized?

The thesis employs a corpus-based analysis using the "Corpus of Global Web-based English" (GloWbE), complemented by statistical verification through the chi-squared test.

What does the main body of the work entail?

It includes a comprehensive review of theoretical models regarding language spread and lexical institutionalization, followed by a quantitative analysis of 20 distinct neologisms categorized by word class.

Which keywords define the scope of this study?

The study is characterized by terms such as Neologisms, World Englishes, Institutionalization, Corpus Linguistics, and Social Media.

How is the "Three Circle Model" relevant to the findings?

The model helps explain the hierarchy of language dissemination, suggesting that inner circle countries set the standards that outer circle countries later adopt.

Are there notable exceptions to the results?

Yes, while most terms followed the hypothesis, words like "staycation" and "phablet" showed higher frequencies in outer circle countries, which the author attributes to the simplicity and structural properties of these specific terms.