LINGUISTIC PRINCIPLES OF THE NEOLOGISMS FORMATION IN CYBERSPORTS VOCABULARY

Abstract

The article examines the features of mechanisms in formation of neologisms and the tendencies of borrowing the foreign words in English cybersports vocabulary. Necessity of this study is explained by the fact that cybersports words contain a lot of specific terms, professionalisms and nomenclative signs. However, the leading part of this vocabulary is provided by slang, the main tool of which are neologisms and occasional jargons. The analysis of a significant number of neologisms, borrowings and abbreviations used in English cybersports field allows us to identify the following derivative ways in the lexical area: conversion, polysemantic shifts, abbreviations of various forms and types. The examples of cybersports neologisms which have occurred from conversion are: “to farm” (from a noun “a farm”), “an ultimate” (from adjective “ultimate”), “public”. Common method is providing the new meanings to a word, for example, “unit” (in cybersports contexts it carries several meanings), “own” is received not only a new meaning, but also, in a process of affixation, it has formed a derivative word “ownage”. One the most common of cybersports neologism formation is abbreviation. It’s important that some complex words are exposed by abbreviation: (teleportation – tp), word-combinations (non-player character – NPC, damage per second – dps) and even the whole stative phrases (away from keyboard – afk). There are also some cases of making the complex abbreviations which are created in a way of adding the morphemes to the basic ones (tp – out). Sometimes, the collocations are reduced to one word, but they reserved the same meaning (“ultimate ability” was shortened to “ultimate”). The majority of the explored neologisms demonstrate close connection of cybersports slang with shortened forms of the words due to the demand of typing and chatting quickly. So, the study illustrates the main approaches of creating special vocabulary in definite cybersports context and shows the prospects of further research of the computer entertainment lexicon.