Neologisms in Modern Greek: Creation, Origin, Occurrence and Usage in Modern Greek lexicons and corpora of the 21st century
Author
Summary, in English
The creation of new words or expressions, known as neologisms, plays a crucial role in the evolution of language, reflecting societal changes, technological advancements, and cultural shifts. Their presence has become even more prominent in recent years due to the effects of globalization and the widespread influence of the English language. This thesis aims to investigate recent neologisms in Modern Greek, specifically examining their creation, origin, occurrence, and usage.
To achieve this, three distinct sources were utilized: Journals of Modern Greek scientific terminology in which neologisms are reported; a Modern Greek dictionary was consulted to determine whether these neologisms have been incorporated over time, to extract their meanings, and to see if the dictionary provides evidence of their origins; and English dictionaries were consulted to confirm the origin, adoption, and to compare the meanings of these neologisms. Lastly, a limited selection of neologisms, chosen based on their frequency and word formation process, was analysed using a Modern Greek corpus.
The analysis revealed that the majority of Modern Greek neologisms are nouns, primarily formed through compounding and to a lesser extent through derivation by adding various prefixes to existing words, such as βιο- (bio-), υπερ- (hyper-), and ευρω- (euro-) and their origin can frequently be traced to foreign languages, mainly English. Among these, ευρω- (euro-) showed the lowest rate of adoption in both Modern Greek and English dictionaries. The nine most frequent neologisms derived from these prefixes were used in the corpus analysis, which yielded diverse results. In terms of usage across different types of texts, some neologisms, like υπερσύνδεσμος (hyperlink) and βιοηθική (bioethics), showed widespread usage, while others, like βιοδείκτες (biomarkers) and ευρωψηφοδέλτιο (European ballot paper), were confined to medical and political texts, respectively.
Most neologisms aligned with the meanings provided by the lexicons, but some showed divergence, such as υπερήρωας (superhero), ευρωσύστημα (eurosystem), and ευρωομάδα (Eurogroup). The connotations of these neologisms also varied, with some, like βιοκαλλιεργητής (biofarmer), carrying positive connotations, while others, like ευρωσύστημα (eurosystem), were used predominantly in negative contexts.
To achieve this, three distinct sources were utilized: Journals of Modern Greek scientific terminology in which neologisms are reported; a Modern Greek dictionary was consulted to determine whether these neologisms have been incorporated over time, to extract their meanings, and to see if the dictionary provides evidence of their origins; and English dictionaries were consulted to confirm the origin, adoption, and to compare the meanings of these neologisms. Lastly, a limited selection of neologisms, chosen based on their frequency and word formation process, was analysed using a Modern Greek corpus.
The analysis revealed that the majority of Modern Greek neologisms are nouns, primarily formed through compounding and to a lesser extent through derivation by adding various prefixes to existing words, such as βιο- (bio-), υπερ- (hyper-), and ευρω- (euro-) and their origin can frequently be traced to foreign languages, mainly English. Among these, ευρω- (euro-) showed the lowest rate of adoption in both Modern Greek and English dictionaries. The nine most frequent neologisms derived from these prefixes were used in the corpus analysis, which yielded diverse results. In terms of usage across different types of texts, some neologisms, like υπερσύνδεσμος (hyperlink) and βιοηθική (bioethics), showed widespread usage, while others, like βιοδείκτες (biomarkers) and ευρωψηφοδέλτιο (European ballot paper), were confined to medical and political texts, respectively.
Most neologisms aligned with the meanings provided by the lexicons, but some showed divergence, such as υπερήρωας (superhero), ευρωσύστημα (eurosystem), and ευρωομάδα (Eurogroup). The connotations of these neologisms also varied, with some, like βιοκαλλιεργητής (biofarmer), carrying positive connotations, while others, like ευρωσύστημα (eurosystem), were used predominantly in negative contexts.
Department/s
- Master's Programme: Language and Linguistics
- Greek (Modern Greek)
Publishing year
2024
Language
English
Full text
Document type
Student publication for Master's degree (two years)
Topic
- Languages and Literatures
Keywords
- neologisms
- Modern Greek
- dictionaries
- corpus analysis
Supervisor
- Vassilios Sabatakakis
- Vasiliki Simaki