Speakers
Description
The European Network on Lexical Innovation (ENEOLI, CA22126 – www.cost. eu/actions/CA22126/, October 2023 – October 2027) is a COST Action seeking to address the lack of comprehensive, multilingual, and globally focused research on neology. As of July 2024, 252 members from 48 different countries have been participating in the Action. The main goal is to establish a network of researchers across Europe and internationally to share best practices and methodologies for studying and documenting lexical innovation. This effort centres on neology, an essential but frequently overlooked aspect of natural language analysis. Linguistically, examining neology improves the comprehension of a language’s lexical system and its development. Furthermore, from a broader perspective, documenting neologisms sheds light on the material and social aspects of language communities. ENEOLI tackles several key challenges: (1) Defining and elucidating fundamental concepts in lexical innovation by developing an open-access multilingual glossary; (2) Reviewing and disseminating methodological implementations, digital resources, and tools for identifying and tracking neologisms over time using both natural language processing and sociolinguistic/psycholinguistic methods; (3) Conducting comparative studies of neologisms across European languages, examining factors such as technological impacts on lexical innovation and contactinduced language change in the digital age; and (4) Offering specialised neology training for professionals like translators, teachers, technical communicators, and terminologists. ENEOLI aims to advance neology through a comprehensive approach: (1) Creating a digital open-access multilingual glossary to define and illustrate the terminology related to lexical innovation; (2) Developing and refining methods, digital resources, and tools for neology research; (3) Performing diachronic and synchronic comparative studies of neology; and (4) Innovating neology training programs. To accomplish these objectives, the Action is structured into four work packages: WG1: Multilingual glossary of neology; WG2: Methods, digital resources, and tools for neology; WG3: Diachronic and synchronic comparative studies of neology; and WG4: Training in Neology. The first work package, WG1, focuses on creating a comprehensive multilingual glossary that defines and elucidates fundamental concepts in lexical innovation. This open-access resource, groundbreaking in many aspects, will serve as a crucial reference for researchers and professionals in various fields, offering clear definitions and examples of neologisms. The glossary is designed to be dynamic, continuously updated to reflect ongoing linguistic and technological developments, and to promote global intercultural understanding and cooperation. WG1 is currently engaged in a multifaceted project aimed at creating the born-digital multilingual glossary of neology terms. The initial phase involves the compilation and analysis of a French corpus (Lambert-Lucas corpus, 2024) provided by Lambert-Lucas Editions, utilizing monographs from the collection La Lexicothèque. Tools such as AntConc24 and Sketch Engine25 have been instrumental in extracting term candidates from this corpus. The methodology developed from this pilot study has informed subsequent tasks. Initially, keywords, monolexical and polylexical terms, and N-grams underwent a rigorous validation process involving a panel of experts. This collaborative review has already resulted in an initial list of over 100 terms, now ready to be included in a multilingual neology vocabulary called NeoVoc. Concurrently, efforts are being expanded to enrich NeoCorpus26, a collection of books and articles on neology in various languages, managed within a Zotero group. This corpus will enhance the metadata and allow the creation of a vocabulary on neology, NeoVoc, in Wikibase. This will facilitate the inclusion of English equivalents and terms from other languages, paving the way for a comprehensive glossary that meets the needs of scholars, lexicographers, students and neology enthusiasts globally. WG2 is dedicated to developing and refining methods, digital resources, and tools for neology research. This includes leveraging natural language processing (NLP) technologies to identify and track neologisms, as well as employing sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic methods to understand their usage and dissemination. By reviewing and disseminating the best practices and 24 https://www.laurenceanthony.net/software/antconc/ 25 https://www.sketchengine.eu/ 26 https://www.zotero.org/groups/5449136/neocorpus 210methodologies, WG2 ensures that researchers can access the most effective tools for studying lexical innovation. Additionally, WG2 also looks at how these tools and methods inform the lexicographic treatment of lexical innovation, with a focus on the editorial decisions around the inclusion and description of neologisms in dictionaries and other lexical resources. WG3 conducts diachronic and synchronic comparative studies of neology across various European languages. These studies will explore how social, cultural, political and technological evolutions impact lexical innovation and how language contact in the digital age induces changes in vocabulary. Comparative research will provide valuable insights into the similarities and differences in lexical innovation among different languages and cultures, contributing to a deeper understanding of neology. WG4 focuses on providing specialised training in neology for professionals such as translators, teachers, technical communicators, and terminologists. This training is essential to ensure that these professionals can effectively apply knowledge of neologisms in their respective fields, promoting better understanding and use of new terms. Additionally, the training programs aim to integrate research findings into professional practices, enhancing the overall impact and relevance of neology research. To support the efforts of the four working groups and to transfer know-how to younger researchers, we will launch an annual training school, with the first session in 2025, focusing on neology and lexical innovation. The primary aim is to deepen knowledge in these areas and their related theoretical and applied fields. This talk presents an overview of the ENEOLI project27, detailing the goals of each work package, ongoing activities, and emphasizing its lexicographic components. The project represents a significant collaborative effort to advance the study and practice of lexical innovation, promoting a deeper and more inclusive understanding of linguistic evolution in a multilingual and global context. Through its comprehensive and innovative approach, ENEOLI aims not only to fill gaps in current knowledge but also to create lasting and valuable resources for researchers, professionals, and language communities worldwide. To achieve these aims, we also need to train individuals to improve the quality of neology and lexical innovation projects, thereby strengthening the global community.
