In this study, we propose online streaming live chat as one of the registers where rich nonce words data can be observed, pointing out that there has not been enough research on the nonce words. Online streaming live chat exhibits characteristics that...
In this study, we propose online streaming live chat as one of the registers where rich nonce words data can be observed, pointing out that there has not been enough research on the nonce words. Online streaming live chat exhibits characteristics that motivate the formation of nonce words, which are created on the spur of the moment to cover some immediate need by a speakers. Nonce words formed in chat uttered by participants in two online streaming broadcasts of different types were collected and analyzed. A significant number of new and differently formed nonce words were observed. They are subcategorized into ‘compounds’, ‘derivatives’, ‘blends’, and ‘acronyms’ based on how they are formed. The characteristics of nonce word formation include ‘context dependence’, ‘diversity of semantic relations and referent concepts’, and ‘synonym relation’. This study highlights the significance of observing and analyzing individual usage in word formation research and lays the groundwork.