Würschinger, Quirin (2022): Lexical innovation on the web and social media: emergence, diffusion, and social variation in the use of English neologisms. Dissertation, LMU München: Faculty for Languages and Literatures |
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Abstract
This dissertation investigates the emergence and diffusion of English neologisms on the web and social media, employing a data-driven methodology to identify a substantial sample of 851 neologisms. Neologisms are examined from their coining to successful dissemination within the community, with the study revealing a wide spectrum of degrees of diffusion. The exploration extends to studying the usage and diffusion of selected neologisms on the web and on Twitter, with a particular focus on social dynamics and variation among different speaker groups. Moreover, the dissertation probes into semantic innovation, demonstrating substantial socio-semantic variation and polarized public discourse surrounding certain neologisms. The research conducts an extensive analysis of semantic innovation and socio-semantic variation, elucidating significant socio-semantic discrepancies between various communities. The dissertation sheds light on the social and semantic dynamics underpinning the life cycle of neologisms within a linguistically diverse community.
Item Type: | Theses (Dissertation, LMU Munich) |
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Keywords: | lexical innovation, neologisms, social media, social network analysis, word embeddings |
Subjects: | 400 Language 400 Language > 420 English and Old English |
Faculties: | Faculty for Languages and Literatures |
Language: | English |
Date of oral examination: | 9. November 2022 |
1. Referee: | Schmid, Hans-Jörg |
MD5 Checksum of the PDF-file: | f27b3cf39d15e481f6514109fdd2e916 |
Signature of the printed copy: | 0001/UMC 30007 |
ID Code: | 32672 |
Deposited On: | 21. Nov 2023 10:23 |
Last Modified: | 21. Nov 2023 10:23 |