The Formation of Neologisms in German and Their Role in Modern Communication

This study examines the mechanisms through which neologisms emerge and circulate in contemporary German and evaluates their communicative functions in digital and public discourse. Drawing on corpus-oriented German neologism lexicography and comparative word-formation theory, the article applies qualitative morphological, semantic and discourse analysis to a transparent illustrative sample of lexical items associated with technology, social media, environmental discussion and pandemic communication. The analysis distinguishes compounding, derivation, borrowing, hybrid formation and semantic innovation, while considering how institutional settings, platform conventions and audience expectations shape diffusion. Results indicate that German productive compounding readily condenses complex social practices; English-derived vocabulary serves transnational and technological domains; and expressive, often short-lived formations index stance and group identity. A documented methodological distinction is maintained between examples selected for illustration and population-level frequency estimates. The study proposes a practical model for analyzing lexical novelty in educational, media and intercultural contexts.