Innovation in Language Learning

This article is aimed to investigate how the internet and computer- specific terminology has enriched and expanded the English lexical stock through the use of different word-formation processes, namely coinage, compounding, blending, acronyms, clipping, conversion, derivation, backformation and multiple processes; in addition it aimed to  find out the  extent of incorporating online –related vocabulary in  four   dictionaries: Cambridge English-English Online Dictionary, Collins Online Dictionary, Merriam Webster Online Dictionary, and Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary  (paper edition).

The data were extracted mainly from NetLingo, a 3000 term dictionary, which was started in 1995 and updated monthly and other  computer-related lexicons. The terms were extracted from the following categories: acronyms (ROM), online jargon (double geeking), online business terms (cookies), online marketing (retailment), net hardware (tablet), net software (dongle), net technology (router, technical terms  (compiler) and text messaging shorthand .

To achieve the first aim of the study, hundreds of online terms were extracted, described, analyzed and classified in terms of the different word- formation processes.  As to the incorporation  of online   terminology in the four dictionaries 38 internet terms were randomly selected from the compiled data and  results showed  that  it ranged from 71% in Collins Online Dictionary to 52.6% in Merriam Webster's Dictionary , which is considered  high in both dictionaries. The results also showed that 15 terms  or 39%   were  entered in the four dictionaries while only seven words were incorporated or entered in only three dictionaries. Finally, the data showed that computer-specific meanings of nine words (22%) were entirely missing from all dictionaries.

Keywords: online terms, word formation processes, borrowing, Greek and Latin ,  English dictionaries