LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13:8 August 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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As Funny As Neologisms: A Case of ‘Friends’ TV Series

Mohsin Khan, Ph.D. Research Scholar
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

Reza Jelveh, M.A
University of Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Neologism, as one of the most important morphological processes, plays a significant role in the generation of new words. The present paper investigated, categorized and elaborated the humorous neologisms in a popular American comic TV series called Friends.

This study showed that neologisms can be interestingly hilarious at times and that they can be creatively used in sitcoms and in everyday language. Findings revealed that many new interesting expressions can be coined within the regular framework of the English language and word formation regulations. This study shows that, contrary to George Yule`s opinion (1998), coinages were not only not “the least common process of word formation”, but they were frequently used in this TV series. The paper concludes with unveiling the concept of “comic license” in the generation of neologisms.

Keywords: Word Formation, Neologism, Coinage, Morphological Operations, Comic License

Introduction

Productivity or creativity as we know is a morphological phenomenon as the possibility for language users to coin or create unlimited number of new expressions, by using the morphological procedure that lies behind the form-meaning correspondence of some known words. The main purpose of creating or coining new words in a language is ‘need’, we need to create or coin a huge number of new labels and names for everything new that has come into existence in recent times. This ‘need’ can be naming new things, new ideas fun or creating humor in language also.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Mohsin Khan
Department of Linguistics
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh 202001
Uttar Pradesh, India
mohsinkhanyusufzai@gmail.com

Reza Jelveh
M.A. in Translation Studies, University of Isfahan, Iran
r_jelveh@yahoo.com
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