Dictionary of New Words

Every year, thousands of new words, neologisms, are added to our language. Not only newly formed words are considered neologisms, but also already existing words with a new meaning. Many neologisms are not as new as they seem, because usually two already existing words are combined into a new compound, for example bomdatabank (explosives database), fietssnelweg (bicycle highway) and hangoudere (loitering elderly). There are also many new compounds formed out of the shortened forms of existing words. Examples of this are alcomobilist (alcohol + automobilist, ‘driver under influence of alcohol’), bionade ‘biologisch + limonade, ‘organic lemonade’ and romkom (romantisch + komedie, ‘romantic comedy’).

Neologisms in the Dictionary of New Words (WNW)

At the Dutch Language Institute, neologisms are collected in digital files and described in dictionaries. The Dictionary of New Words is a dictionary that describes only neologisms. Both the short-lived neologisms and those that have been fully accepted into our language can be found in the WNW. It is useful to describe new words: linguistically they are very interesting and they often look like words we are already familiar with. They also tend to represent a specific period of time, such as the financial crisis, the coronavirus pandemic or a period in which a new government is formed.

Neologisms in the Dictionary of Contemporary Dutch (ANW)

Some of these neologisms are also included in the ANW (Dictionary of Contemporary Dutch). Not all new words are included in this dictionary, since many neologisms are only used for a short period and then disappear again, for example many new words in the field of fashion, such as jegging ‘jeans leggings’.

Keepers or perishables?

Neologisms can have their ‘shelf lives’ tested by using the FUDGE test, developed by the American linguist Allan Metcalf. Each letter in FUDGE stands for a certain characteristic; the letter F, for instance, stands for ‘Frequency’. Each new word can be assessed on the basis of five criteria. Lexicographers use the FUDGE test as a tool to determine which words to include in their dictionaries.

The neologisms that end up in the WNW and ANW are given a definition, but are also typified according to their form, for example as a compound formed out of two nouns (e.g. curlingouder). The ‘age’, frequency and possible inventor of a word are also mentioned, if known. So the WNW and ANW offer a wealth of information for researchers in the fields of morphology, etymology and lexicology.

Neologisms as dictionary entries

A great number of neologisms have already been included as a dictionary entry or within a dictionary article in the online versions of the WNW and ANW. It is also possible to do the FUDGE test yourself. And every week, one neologism is discussed in detail on our website, under the header ‘New word of the week’.

Applications/products

• Search the WNW

Further reading

• New word of the week
• New words in the ANW
• FUDGE test: test the durability of new words
• New words on ‘Profielwerkstuk taalkunde’
• Toolkit Neologisms on ‘Profielwerkstuk taalkunde’‘