1920 vs 2020 English neologisms - A case study of contrastive semantics

Sep 29, 2026

This paper contrasts tendencies in English vocabulary emergence in 1920 and 2020 by examining neologisms attested in those years. Using an intentional sampling method, the study selects 200 neologisms from each period and organizes them into fourteen semantic categories. The analysis seeks semantic parallels and analogies, while also identifying differences and deviations in the acquired vocabulary. Results are expected to reflect how socio-political and communication conditions shape neologization.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Sociolinguistic dimensions of neologization in 1920 vs 2020

LEGE ARTIS Language yesterday, today, tomorrow Vol. VI. No 2 2021 1920 VS 2020 ENGLISH NEOLOGISMS: A CASE STUDY OF CONTRASTIVE SEMANTICS1 Michaela Hroteková, Daniel Lančarič*, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia Peter Bojo, Faculty of Education, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia Corresponding author* Bibliographic description: Hroteková, M., Lančarič, D. & Bojo, P. (2021) . 1920 vs 2020 English neologisms: A case study of contrastive semantics. In Lege artis. Language yesterday, today, tomorrow. The journal of University of SS Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. Trnava: University of SS Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, 2021, VI (2), December 2021, p. 33-68. ISSN 2453-8035 Abstract: In this paper, we contrast tendencies in English vocabulary emergence in 1920 and 2020. Using the intentional sampling method, we selected neologisms used in 1920 and 2020 (200 for each year); created fourteen semantic categories in the search for semantic parallels and analogies as well as differences and deviations in the acquired vocabulary. Key words: semantic categories, semantic parallels, semantic analogies, semantic differences, semantic deviations, neologisms, social context. 1. Introduction Without even realizing it, people coin countless new words every day (Böhmerová 2009; Jesenská 2016; Lehrer 2006; Mattiello 2017) . To keep track of all concepts encoded in new lexemes, lexicographers compile dictionaries of neologisms during particular periods. 1 The paper is written as part of VEGA project No. 1/0769/20 'The Language of Electronic Media in the English Linguocultural Context'. Neologisms are considered to be any innovative items of speech which are verified in the current stock of vocabulary (Bojo 2017: 33) . They are "newly coined words or expressions" (Neologism, s.a.) that respond "to the immediate naming needs of a speech-community" (Štekauer 2002: 8) and are a bridge between culture and language, enabling us to track how culture is evolving (Algeo & Algeo 1993; McDonald 2005) . The neologization process, also referred to as institutionalization (Bojo & Lančarič 2020: 58) , resides in word formation (cf. Borys 2018) as well as particular social, political, economic, and cultural events that impact society. Compared to the present, the expansion of the vocabulary that emerged in 1920 was hindered by technological limitations. Whereas 1920s communication was based on telephoning and radio transmission, which mostly spread spoken language, the twenty-first century, and particularly 2020, has been mainly characterized by online communication (Crystal 2001) . The development of English language over the last century was predominantly a result of colonization. Indeed, " [in] 1910, the British Empire was at the peak of its power, with direct control over a quarter of the earth's land surface and more than a quarter of its population" (Mair 2006: 7) . Imported words flourished in English vocabulary, describing newly discovered realities. As a consequence, English has become a global language for business and other fields of international communication. Britain might have lost the majority of its colonies after the Second World War but the English language continues its 'online colonization' . Tools such as social networks greatly influence the language's growth and its adoption. Gradually, the lines between standard and non-standard use of vocabulary are being blurred as mainstreamization is taking place and younger generations are bending the principles of Standard English (cf. Bex & Watts 1999) . In this study, we are expanding on a common truth that history repeats itself, however, it may do so in a more advanced way. Thus, the aim of this paper is to describe, analyse and contrast the tendencies in vocabulary emergence in two periods (1920 and 2020) that are a hundred years apart. We are aiming to prove that identical semantic areas may be found in both examined periods (h

FAQs

What semantic categories are examined?

Fourteen categories are used, including areas such as agriculture, media, medicine (excluding pandemic), society, science and technology, travelling and tourism, and work, economy, and business.

Sep 29, 2026

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