Having infected almost 500 million people within two years, the Coronavirus disease 2019 has altered our lives fundamentally at a rapid pace. Ever since the first outbreak in Wuhan, society had to adapt to a different lifestyle including social, cultural, and travel restrictions. As a result of societal change, many new words have been developing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the following, I will analyze the coinage of the term COVID-19, its context, and its frequency with the help of the Coronavirus Corpus. Based on Tony Thorne’s list of newly coined slang, this paper will discuss the influence of the Coronavirus disease 2019 on the emergence of new slang words and the word formation processes that created them.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Theoretical Background
- 2.1 The Coronavirus disease 2019 and its influence on language
- 2.2 Neologisms and word formation processes
- 3. Methodology
- 4. Data Analysis and Discussion
- 4.1 Coinage of the Term COVID-19
- 4.1.1 Change in Frequency
- 4.1.2 Context of the Term COVID-19
- 4.2 Creation of Slang Words related to COVID-19
- 4.2.1 Word Formation Processes
- 4.2.2 Reasons for the Creation of New Slang Terms
- 4.1 Coinage of the Term COVID-19
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes the coinage of the term COVID-19 and its impact on the creation of slang words during the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines the term's frequency and context of use, explores the word formation processes involved in creating new slang terms related to the pandemic, and investigates the reasons behind the emergence of this new vocabulary.
- The coinage and usage of the term COVID-19.
- The emergence of new slang words related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Word formation processes involved in creating COVID-19 slang.
- Reasons for the creation of new slang terms during the pandemic.
- The impact of societal change on language development.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage by highlighting the profound and rapid societal changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically focusing on its impact on language. It introduces the paper's objective: to analyze the emergence of the term COVID-19 and its influence on the coinage of new slang words. The chapter briefly outlines the methodology, indicating the use of the Coronavirus Corpus and Tony Thorne's list of newly coined slang words as primary data sources.
2. Theoretical Background: This chapter lays the groundwork by defining key terms and concepts. Section 2.1 provides a brief overview of COVID-19 as a disease, emphasizing its global impact and societal disruption. It connects this societal upheaval to the subsequent linguistic changes, citing established connections between major social shifts and vocabulary evolution. Section 2.2 defines neologisms and explores various word formation processes (derivation, compounding, conversion, shortening, etc.), setting the theoretical framework for analyzing the newly coined slang terms discussed later in the paper. The chapter establishes a clear connection between the pandemic's effects and the expected linguistic consequences, providing a solid foundation for the subsequent analysis.
3. Methodology: This chapter details the research methodology employed in the study. It explains the selection of Tony Thorne's #CORONASPEAK project and the Coronavirus Corpus as primary data sources. The chapter describes how these resources were utilized: Thorne's list to identify newly coined slang, and the Coronavirus Corpus to analyze the frequency and context of COVID-19 and other relevant terms. The chapter justifies the choices of data sources and methods, outlining how the chosen approaches address the research questions posed in the introduction.
4. Data Analysis and Discussion: This chapter presents the core findings of the study, divided into two main sections. Section 4.1 analyzes the coinage of the term COVID-19 itself, discussing its origins as an acronym and its rapid increase in frequency following its creation. This section provides data from the Coronavirus Corpus illustrating the dramatic shift in usage. Section 4.2 focuses on the emergence of slang terms related to COVID-19, examining the specific word formation processes used and providing examples. This section analyzes the reasons behind the creation of this new slang, connecting it to the societal changes brought about by the pandemic and the need to express novel experiences and emotions.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
COVID-19, neologisms, slang, word formation processes, Coronavirus Corpus, pandemic, language change, societal impact, #CORONASPEAK, acronyms.
Frequently asked questions
What is the "Language Preview" document about?
The "Language Preview" document provides a comprehensive overview of a research paper analyzing the linguistic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically focusing on the emergence of the term COVID-19 and the creation of related slang words.
What are the main topics covered in the document?
The document covers the following main topics: the coinage and usage of the term COVID-19, the emergence of new slang words related to the COVID-19 pandemic, word formation processes involved in creating COVID-19 slang, reasons for the creation of new slang terms during the pandemic, and the impact of societal change on language development.
What are the data sources used in the study?
The primary data sources used in the study are Tony Thorne's #CORONASPEAK project (a list of newly coined slang words) and the Coronavirus Corpus, which is used to analyze the frequency and context of COVID-19 and other relevant terms.
What word formation processes are examined in the study?
The study examines various word formation processes, including derivation, compounding, conversion, and shortening, as they relate to the creation of new slang terms related to COVID-19.
What is the purpose of analyzing the frequency and context of the term COVID-19?
Analyzing the frequency and context of the term COVID-19 helps understand its origins as an acronym, its rapid increase in usage, and the shift in its usage during the pandemic.
What are some keywords associated with the document's content?
Some keywords associated with the document's content include COVID-19, neologisms, slang, word formation processes, Coronavirus Corpus, pandemic, language change, societal impact, #CORONASPEAK, and acronyms.
What does the "Theoretical Background" chapter cover?
The "Theoretical Background" chapter defines key terms and concepts, provides an overview of COVID-19's global impact, and establishes a connection between societal disruption and linguistic changes. It also defines neologisms and explores various word formation processes, providing a theoretical framework for analyzing newly coined slang terms.
What does the "Methodology" chapter explain?
The "Methodology" chapter details the research methodology employed, including the selection of Tony Thorne's #CORONASPEAK project and the Coronavirus Corpus as primary data sources. It explains how these resources were utilized to identify slang and analyze the frequency and context of terms.
What are the two main sections of the "Data Analysis and Discussion" chapter?
The "Data Analysis and Discussion" chapter is divided into two main sections: the coinage of the term COVID-19 itself, and the emergence of slang terms related to COVID-19.
- Quote paper
- Mona Hild (Author), 2023, An Analysis of the Term COVID-19 and its Influence on the Coinage of Slang Words, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1557286
