A Morphological Analysis of Neologisms in Social Media English: A Study of Word Formation Processes

Abstract

This paper analyzes the morphology of neologisms in social media English, and the most common processes of creating new words. Instagram and Tik Tok are becoming dynamic spaces of linguistic creativity in the contemporary digital age, where new units of lexicon are generated, edited, and shared in interactions between users of these spaces. The study is qualitative which follows a textual analysis. A sample of 40 neologisms was gathered via the social media comments and captions reflecting the real and natural use of language. Words chosen were examined according to known morphological patterns of words, with an emphasis on major processes of word formation, including blending, the formation of acronym, compounding, conversion and affixation. The results suggest that the most productive and common word formation processes in social media discourse are blending and compounding. This implies that users are attracted to both economical and creative forms of communication that enable them to create meaning within the space constraints. Acronyms were found to be the third most frequently used method for creating new words on social media. Overall, this work contributes to the understanding of the transformation of modern English in online space and the need to analyze the discourse of the digital era in the paradigm of modern linguistics.

Keywords: Neologism, Processes of Word Formation, Social Media English, Digital Communication, and Language Change.