Neologisms are new words or meanings that may become part of a language. They can come from various sources, and linguistic specialists classify them based on usage. Some welcome neologisms as a natural process, while others see them as corruptions. In academic writing, it is not appropriate to use a newly coined word. Neologisms can also refer to words used by people with severe mental illness or autism, but they have only personal meaning and do not extend to the general language.
A neologism can be a brand new word being used in a language or a new meaning for an already existing word. This term is not generally in common use, but could become so if used often. Neologisms can come from a variety of places and can be drawn from scientific or technical language, come from other languages, be derived from the union of two words or can be purely invented, as in the case of words like “Jabberwocky” from the famous poem by Lewis Carroll. Linguistic specialists suggest that new words often migrate into a language especially with major cultural changes or with the integration of two cultures speaking two different languages. Arguably, things like social media can also have a big influence on which new words become part of a language.
Linguists often classify neologism according to its degree of usage in a language. The newborn word is initially unstable, and it’s hard to guess if it will catch on and eventually be a word that most people know and use. A widespread neologism means that many people are using the word, but it has no formal recognition as a word yet, and ultimately, if the word remains popular, it can achieve a stable status. It has become part of the language and is likely to be defined in dictionaries.
There are some who welcome neologism as a natural process of language because new words are constantly becoming part of language. Others see neologisms as corruptions of the primary language and may argue against their inclusion, especially in any sort of formal writing venue. This second group usually loses the argument because the language is not static; it expands or shrinks all the time, and the use of words in the general population or even in academia does not remain the same.
On the other hand, students should be warned that the use of a widespread or unstable neologism in academic writing is not likely to be welcomed. If a writing task requires formal language, it is usually not appropriate to use a newly coined word. Ironically, many neologisms come from academia, the highly technical language of science, or literature.
There is another definition of neologism that is used in psychiatric medicine. Words that are composed by people with severe mental illness or autism, and are used and repeated by the people who compose them, can also be called neologisms. In this case, the words have only a personal meaning and do not extend to the general language. This behavior is by no means characteristic only of mentally ill people. When children learn language, they often invent words as well. Twins may develop a unique vocabulary that can only be understood by each other, but in most cases this language will not spread elsewhere.
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