The development of semantic neologisms within the lexico-semantic group “The denominations of mutant coronavirus strains”

The article describes semantic neologisation within the lexico-semantic group “The denominations of mutant coronavirus strains” as part of the lexico-semantic fi eld “The new coronavirus infection”. The relevance of the article is determined by bringing into clear focus the lexical units that have not yet been analyzed within the designated topic. The paper aims at introducing the parameters according to which the linguistic units within the aforementioned lexico-semantic group can be classified, and at conducting a systemic componential analysis of the collected material, which lays the methodological basis for the paper. The lexical material is analyzed according to the following parameters: the designation of particular coronavirus strains (mutant strains, strains different by origin, spread and contagiousness) and the type of semantic development (semantic derivation or secondary borrowing). Certain hypero-hyponymic paradigms are singled out and carefully analyzed. The following ways of semantic neologisation are described: metaphoric shift – the dominant one; semantic syncretism; paronymic attraction. As far as the metaphoric shift is concerned, the paper analyzes the lexical units based on the names of mythical chthonic creatures evoking such connotations as ‘monster’, ‘threat’, ‘danger’, ‘death’, ‘hybrid’, ‘discord’, ‘strife’. Semantic syncretism is considered as semantic addition to the meaning of the original lexeme. The paper touches upon the derivational potential of paronymic attraction in the names of new coronavirus strains. The article also considers the issue of political correctness which determines the motivational basis for semantic neologisms. According to the encyclopedic notes on the site “New in the Russian vocabulary”, strains detected in particular countries are named with Greek letters so that those countries are not stigmatized.

coronavirus, lexico-semantic group, semantic derivation, secondary borrowing, semantic syncretism, paronymic attraction, political correctness