Phrases-memes as source of neologisms

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the emergence of neologisms based on predicative units. The author revisits the issue of recognizing the capacity of a sentence to perform a nominative function – that is, to act as a sign representing a particular situation. Drawing on previously documented examples such as titles of works of art and ergonyms expressed through predicative units, as well as the documented ability of predicative units to function as various sentence members in different contexts, the author identifies and analyzes neologisms whose productive basis consists of entire sentences. The objective of this study is to determine the conditions under which such neologisms have arisen in the Russian language over the past decade and to analyze their functioning. It is argued that only sentences which have become memes can serve as a productive base. These sentences must meet specific criteria: they should be typical utterances that reflect socially significant, recurring situations; they must exhibit high frequency, reproducibility, and recognizability. From these meme phrases, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs can be derived that conform to the full range of grammatical properties of their respective parts of speech. Furthermore, the study observes that these neologisms themselves often become productive bases for subsequent word-formation processes. The neologisms under consideration exhibit a marked evaluative tone and function as markers of in-group versus out-group categories. It is also proposed that not all such neologisms will be lexicographically documented, as many are ephemeral in nature. Their usage is prompted by specific moments in time and reflects attitudes toward those moments, rendering them relevant only while the events inspiring the meme phrases remain socially pertinent.