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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The ludic aspect of lexical inventiveness

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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