The ludic aspect of lexical inventiveness

2013

In this paper we argue that coining new words is inherently ludic. Wehypothesize that naming (the onomasiological part of the creation of words)functions as a modern form of aporia (the riddle). We propose to interpret nonceformations as the initial stage of any new word both as a temporal and as aspatial notion. Once used in communicative interaction, a word is launched onits paths of socialization, instantiated by institutionalization and lexicalization.As there are no grounds for a sharp distinction between ‘ludic’ and ‘ordinary’words, we postulate ludicity as a third dimension of socialization for whicheach word is characterized