CREATIVE NEOLOGISMS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE CHICK LIT: FORM-BASED, MEANING-BASED CREATIVITY AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/philspu/2026.13.1Keywords:
neologism, lexical creativity, form, meaning, function, literary discourse, English language chick litAbstract
This article explores creative neologisms in English language chick lit, focusing on form-based and meaning-based creativity that co-evolve in their production, and the functions they perform in this genre of fiction. The study draws on a corpus of 35 English language chick lit novels, which returned a total of 141 neologisms. The research applies a combined morphological, semantic, and linguo-cognitive approach, with a focus on metaphorical and metonymical mechanisms underlying lexical innovation. The analysis demonstrates that neologisms in English language chick lit emerge through various word-formation processes, including compounding, blending, affixation, and clipping which are adapted and subverted to produce different types of form-based creativity. From a semantic perspective, many neologisms rely on conceptual metaphor and metonymy, enabling authors to produce a range of types of meaning-based creativity. These are grounded in creative uses of metaphor and metonymy to convey complex emotions, social evaluations, and personal experiences in a compact and vivid manner. Functionally, creative neologisms serve multiple purposes within the genre. They enhance humour and irony, reinforce intimacy between narrator and reader, and contribute to the construction of a distinctive female narrative voice. Moreover, such lexical innovations reflect contemporary cultural values, consumer practices, and gender-related discourses, thus positioning English language chick lit as a socially meaningful literary form rather than merely light entertainment. The findings indicate that neologisms in English language chick lit are not accidental stylistic embellishments but systematic tools of meaning-making and identity construction. By integrating linguistic creativity with narrative strategy, authors shape readers’ perceptions of characters and social realities. The article concludes that English language chick lit represents a productive domain for the study of modern lexical innovation and its interaction with literary and cultural processes
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