Neologisms as a salient feature of the video game register
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24136/rsf.2024.010Keywords:
online communication, gaming community, new coinages, word formation, new developmentsAbstract
The paper presents neologisms as a salient feature of the video game register and explores them in the context of both video games and the online communication. The paper analyses neologisms from the perspective of Peter Newmark, who distinguishes 12 types of neologisms: old words with new senses, new coinages, derived words, abbreviations, collocations (including noun compounds), phrasal words, acronyms, pseudo-neologisms, eponyms, transferred words, internationalisms and blends. An analysis of language used in video games and related websites revealed examples of nearly all these types, with the exception of transferred words, internationalisms, and blends. However, this does not imply those phenomena are entirely absent. Undeniably, the findings confirm that not only can neologisms be considered a common occurrence in the video game register, but they also display a rich diversity of neologism types present in video games and video-game-related media. Furthermore, the presence of these neologisms serves as evidence for the existence of the video game register.
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