VERBAL REPRESENTATION OF THE CONCEPT “HOUSING” BY ENGLISH NEOLOGISMS

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of neologisms of the concept “HOUSING”, formed as a result of changes in public life, and the reasons for their appearance nowadays. The object of the research is lexical innovations which have appeared in English over the last year. A brief overview of the theoretical approaches to the problem of the study of neologisms has been given. The role of neological processes in modern English has been described. The reasons for the necessity to study new vocabulary from the positions of cognitive linguistics have been outlined. The notion of concept as basic one in cognitive linguistics has been defined. Attention is paid to understanding the concept in modern science. The article emphasizes the universality of the concept “HOUSING”, the translation of the lexical unit “housing” into Ukrainian according to the analysis of recognized dictionaries has been given. As a result of the distribution of lexical innovations, five basic and additional conceptual characteristics have been distinguished according to the substantive features of this concept: a building for residence or other purposes; parameters and size; adjoining territory; building material and housing relations. Examples of the most interesting new words and their sources have been provided; interpretation of the studied neologisms has been introduced as there is not their translation into Ukrainian yet; examples of their use in modern English-language publications have been represented. The changes in construction and design creativity transforming into new styles in architecture, the influence of modern man’s aspirations on the arrangement of his own home, and, accordingly, changes in the lexical composition of the language due to the need for a new nomination have been analyzed. A statistical analysis of neologisms according to the method of formation has been conducted, in the result compounding and telescopy were singled out as the most productive ways of forming neologisms of the concept “HOUSING”. The main reasons for the emergence of new words have been identified: new nomination objects, linguistic economy, and word play. The need to describe the cognitive foundations of new words has been substantiated; the purposes of their use in language, and, most importantly, the need to study the natural relationships between changes occurring in society and the constant updating of the lexical system have been emphasized.