CA22126 - European Network On Lexical Innovation (ENEOLI)

Neology is the study of lexical innovation in natural languages, in multiple contexts and over time. Lexical innovation is a massive, permanent and universal phenomenon. From a strictly linguistic point of view, the study of neology “contributes to a better understanding of the lexical system of a given language and its evolution” (Sablayrolles 2019: 7), while from an extralinguistic point of view, “the inventory of neologisms also gives much information about language communities in their material lives and social representations” (ibid.). The key challenges addressed by the network may be summarised thus: 1) Define the core terminology of neology conceived as a discipline through the creation of a born-digital specialised multilingual glossary (none exist currently) in order to facilitate research on an international scale; 2) Adapt digital methodologies and tools to identify and account for lexical innovation; thanks to the involvement of institutions, experts and the general public (crowdsourcing), increase the awareness of lexical creations and their societal implications, foster creativity in mother tongues, clarity in institutional communication and in science; 3) Carry out comparative studies on lexical innovation in European languages, with a particular focus on borrowings and their equivalents; 4) Provide specific training in neology for translators, editors, journalists, technical writers and teachers through a specific protocol that could be replicated for any European language. Conferences, training schools and short-term scientific missions are also planned in order to achieve the aforementioned goals.