LEXICAL INNOVATION IN DIGITAL ENGLISH: NEOLOGISMS, BLENDS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SEMANTIC CHANGE

Abstract

The digital transformation of communication has accelerated processes of lexical innovation in contemporary English. New technologies, social media platforms, online communities, and changing cultural practices continuously generate new lexical units and new meanings for existing words. This article examines four major mechanisms of lexical development in digital English: neologism formation, blending, abbreviation, and semantic change. Using a descriptive and word-formation-based approach, the study discusses examples such as selfie, vlog, fintech, unfriend, DM, and viral. The analysis demonstrates that digital lexical innovation follows established morphological and semantic mechanisms while responding to new communicative needs. The article concludes that Internet communication should be viewed as an important environment of linguistic productivity rather than simply as a source of informal or non-standard language.