What is a Neologism?
A newly-coined word or expression.
Neologisms: Making Up Words to Capture the Unimaginable
A neologism is a word that has been newly created or introduced to the language, either to accommodate a new concept or to describe a new phenomenon or development.
Though the word 'neologism' itself has been around since the late 18th century and comes from the Greek 'neo' (new) and 'logos' (word), people have been creating new words since the dawn of language. Many of the words we take for granted today were once neologisms themselves.
Neologisms often arise from necessity – when there is a concept, phenomenon, or development that there is currently no word for. They can also arise from the desire to be creative, witty, or humorous.
As for grammar, neologisms are often eagerly adopted by people trying to come up with a perfect pun, rhyme, or alliteration, and can challenge traditional grammatical rules. However, whether a neologism catches on and becomes a part of the language largely depends on its usefulness and acceptance by others.
So if you're at a loss for words to describe a new phenomenon or have a creative streak that you want to indulge, why not try coining your own neologism!
Lewis Carroll's 'Jabberwocky' is a nonsense poem full of bizarre neologisms like 'slithy' and 'frabjous' that have become a part of our cultural lexicon.
In 'Clockwork Orange,' Anthony Burgess created a futuristic slang called 'Nadsat,' a mix of Russian and Cockney rhyming slang that uses numerous neologisms.