Prospects for Survival of Covid Neologisms in Modern English

Abstract

The lexical neologisms of the modern English language, which appeared in the period 2020—2021, are investigated. The units that have appeared under the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic and represent the modern content of the linguistic concept PANDEMIC in English in terms of possible reference of the semantics of the language with the ethnic cultural codes of modern carriers of this linguoculture are analyzed separately. The results of the analysis, which make it possible to predict the transition of individual neologisms from the elements of speech to the composition of the language are presented. The linguistic perspectives of the functioning of neologisms that appeared during the period from the beginning of the pandemic to the present moment, as well as the prospects for the functioning of separately taken derivational components such as pan-, cov-, demic, corona- are considered. The characteristic features of the neologisms of the 2020 and 2021 pandemic are analyzed separately in order to identify development trends and then predict the possibility of their survival in modern English. The selected neological units are examined for compliance with the fudge factor developed by the American neologue A. Metcalfe. This classification is complemented by the parameters developed by domestic researchers in the field of neology. Conclusions are made about potentially different prospects for the survival of neologisms in terms of form and content.

Keywords

• neologisms
• modern english
• linguistic forecasting
• fudge factor
• pandemic
• coronavirus