The process of development of any language never stops. Sure enough, English is no exception from this rule and new words and expressions enrich its vocabulary all the time. These newly coined words and expressions are called neologisms. Comparing English with other languages, it is possible to assume that it is the neologism champion as the Oxford English Dictionary is updated four times a year. This year, for example, only the third update, which took place in September, contained more than 500 new words, phrases and senses.
If you want to start learning English with neologisms, watch the short video:
Shakespeare gave us many neologisms
Did you know that William Shakespeare gave us nearly 2000 neologisms? It is a very interesting fact, isn’t it? And it is true that we can create words ourselves because there is or there ought to be a word for everything. Of course, there should be a golden mean and it’s not such a good idea to create new words instead of those already existing. If you do, you are likely to look and sound weird and simply misunderstood. However, the language lives its own life and people seem to be the driving force in it.
Common Neologisms
| Word | Definition | Example |
| Noob | a person who is inexperienced in a particular sphere or activity, especially computing or the use of the Internet | As I am just a noob in copywriting, I’ll need some help. |
| To blutter | to give a long, rambling speech about uncertainty | Stop bluttering because none seems to be interested in what you are saying. |
| Troll | a person who posts obnoxious comments to an online community | Dear administrator, please black all the trolls in this group – they are just unbearable! |
| Staycation | a holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions | Some people opt for staycation as it is much cheaper than going somewhere. However, the impressions may not be equal. |
| To google | to look up information on the Internet | If there is something you don’t know, google it and you are likely to find the right information. |
| Oversharer | a person who posts too much information about themselves online and this information is often boring or embarrassing | Don’t pay much attention to their posts – they are mere oversharers who seem to have nothing to do. |
| Bobu | a businessman who leads a bohemian lifestyle | He is such a bobu – he can’t live without fancy parties and constant media exposure. |
| Midult | someone, especially a woman, in the middle stage of adulthood who has interests more associated with those of younger people | I think she is a real midult, interested in throwing parties and impressing friends. |
| Freakshake | a milkshake made with ice cream and other sweet foods including cream, chocolate and cake | I know it’s bad for the figure but I order a freakshake every now and then. |
| Grip-lit | a genre of novel that has an exciting psychological storyline | It is a true grip-lit – it is impossible to put it down! |
Most neologisms are informal
As you might have noticed, many neologisms are related to technology, especially the Internet. It is no wonder as the World Wide Web plays a very important role in our everyday life. Therefore, more and more words enter the language to describe certain things and processes. And more neologisms are yet to come.
Finally, please remember that most neologisms are informal so remember that when learning English with neologisms. You shouldn’t use them in formal contexts because otherwise your language will be inappropriate. Make sure that you use certain newly coined words and expressions in the right place and at the right time.
So stay updated, keep your eyes and ears open and chances are you’ll see and hear lots of words that are considered to be neologisms.
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