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Lexical innovation on the web and social media. emergence, diffusion, and social variation in the use of English neologisms
Lexical innovation on the web and social media. emergence, diffusion, and social variation in the use of English neologisms
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.
lexical innovation, neologisms, social media, social network analysis, word embeddings
Würschinger, Quirin
2022
English
Universitätsbibliothek der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
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.