2.3.4. Literary coinages (including nonce-words)

Every period in the development of a language produces an enormous number of new words (neologisms), both in oral speech and in writing. Nonce words (occasional words) is a group of stylistically colored individual neologisms, which are created on the basis of the existing word-building patterns but have validity only in and for the given context. Usually they are heavily stylistically loaded. Their major stylistic function could be creation of the effect of laconism and implication or witty humor and satire.

Literary coinages are words created in writing. There are two types of literary coinages:

Terminological coinages (neologisms) are words coined to designate newly-born concepts resulting from the development of science and industry: cybernetics, nuclear fission, etc.

Stylistic coinages (neologisms) are words coined because their creators needed a more expressive means of communicating the idea. This kind of literary coinages is found in publicistic style mostly in newspapers articles and magazines.

New words are coined according to the productive models for word-building in the given language. Example: affixation: to villagize, anti-hero, anti-novelist, unworthwhile; conversion: to fellowship, to service, to garage a car; compounding: back-room boys (men engaged in secret research); blending: musicomedy (music-comedy), cinemactress (cinema actress); change of meaning: top (excellent, wonderful).

All these are new names for old concepts. The authors use them to make the utterance more conspicuous or sensational.

Words coined for one occasion are called nonce-words. If a word becomes commonly used it ceases to be a nonce-word and passes into the class of neologisms for some time, and later on it loses its novelty and ceases to be a neologism. But the majority of nonce words remain in the context for which they were created and retain the label "nonce" for ever.

Nonce words are used by writers for the sake of expressiveness, they are stylistically colored, their functions being different in different contexts, such as the creation of the effect of witty humor or satire. Example: The surgeon rubbed his hands and ha-ha-ed (Ch. Dickens). This nonce word will hardly be used in the English language.

2.3.5. Barbarisms and Foreign Words

Barbarisms have already become facts of the English language. They are part of the English word stock, though they remain on the outskirts of the literary vocabulary. The use of barbarisms imbues an utterance with a new quality, which stems from the author's stylistic purpose. Barbarisms may also be used to characterize a personage. Barbarisms and foreign words are used mainly to supply the narrated events with the proper local coloring and to convey the idea of the foreign origin or cultural and educational status of the personage.

Foreign words do not belong to the English vocabulary. They fulfill a terminological function. They reflect an objective reality not familiar to English speaking community. There are no names for them in English and they have to be explained.

Foreign words and phrases are generally explained either in footnotes or by means of paraphrasing. Barbarisms are never translated or explained as it is assumed that they are known to all. It is almost impossible to draw a hard distinction between a barbarism and a foreign word proper, on the one hand and between a barbarism and a highly literary, bookish word or phrase on the other hand. They are in constant motion. Some foreign words turn into barbarisms, and become units of the English vocabulary. Others remain essentially foreign and gradually disappear fro from common use.

Consider your answers to the following questions:

1. Why is the word stock of any language a system?

2. In to which layers does word stock of the English vocabulary falls into?

3. Under which term do common literary, neutral and common colloquial words grouped?

4. Which words have no stylistic coloring?

5. Where is common literary vocabulary chiefly used?

6. What is the difference between jargonisms and professionalisms?

7. What is the main stylistic function of words?

8. What is the main stylistic function of poetic words?

9. What are the three stages in the aging process of words?

10.What are the types of literary coinages?

11. What are the principal characteristics of archaic words? Give definition of archaisms proper, obsolescent and obsolete words. What is the main stylistic function of archaisms?

12. What is the difference between barbarisms and foreignisms?

Do the test to check your knowledge

1. Archaisms may be used in a literary text

a) to show that the speaker is attached to the unusual words;

b) create the historic atmosphere;

c) to produce humorous effect.

2. Archaic proper are

a) the words which are no longer recognizable in Modern English;

b) still recognized by the English speaking community;

c) the words, which are in the stage of gradually passing out of general use;

d) ) the words which do not belong to the English vocabulary.

3. Poetic words are used in poetic diction

a) due to the poetic tradition only;

b) to create the romantic atmosphere;

c) to produce the effect of elevation;

d) to comply with the poetic tradition and to create romantic atmosphere.

4. Barbarisms are

a) generally explained either in footnotes;

b) part of the English word stock;

c) to be found in business letters;

d) no longer recognizable in Modern English.

5. Foreign words and phrases are

a) generally explained in footnotes or by means of paraphrasing.

b) never explained;

c) hardly be used in the English language;

d) historical words.