Different types of semantic groups: morphological and lexico-grammatical classes, thematic and ideographic groups, terminological classes. Neologisms, occasionalism, nonce-words. Archaismsms, obsolete words, historisms, e

The Form of a Neologism A neologism will usually be one of the following forms:

An abbreviation or acronym
(e.g., FOMO (Fear Of Missing out))
A completely new word
(e.g., oversharers)
A new combination of existing words (e.g., digital detox)
A new meaning for an existing word
(e.g., sick)

Common Neologisms

Noob: A person new to an online gaming community.

Staycation: A vacation at home or near home (usually due to financial constraints preventing a holiday abroad).

Troll: A person who posts obnoxious comments to an online community.

To Google: To look up information on the internet.

Bobu: a businessman who leads a bohemian lifestyle

What Is a Nonce Word/ Occasionalism? 

The definition of nonce word (also referred to as an occasionalism), is when a person invents a new word to describe a particular occasion or situation for which a word doesn’t already exist.

“Nonce” first appeared as the noun “nanes” in Middle English, which was a derivative of “then anes,” meaning “the one purpose.”

A nonce word isn’t part of the formal English lexicon, but it has a specific meaning within its given context. Once a nonce word enters into common use or the English dictionary, it is no longer considered a nonce word. A nonce word can become an informal neologism if it is used often enough to be considered an official word.

Why Use Nonce Words?

Why Use Nonce Words?

In writing, nonce words can fit in where other words wouldn’t. If the thing you’re trying to describe doesn’t have a word that comes to mind or the existing words simply aren’t the right ones, nonce words can come in handy. Nonce words can slip in to help form the right image for the visual you’re trying to convey. They are also useful for creating particular sounds, putting more focus on the way the text sounds rather than what it means.