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In:The Loss of Primordial Language and the Future of National Languages
Edited by Irene Capdevila and Francesc Feliu
[IVITRA Research in Linguistics and Literature 47] 2026
► pp. 130–158

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Primordial lexis and neologisms

The role of dictionaries

 | Universitat Pompeu Fabra
 | Universitat d’Alacant
Published online: 23 March 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ivitra.47.09lor
Abstract
In this communication we propose to describe: (1) Lexico-semantic change as a constant process in the evolution of languages driven by factors such as cultural transformations (in the material and conceptual realm, in the belief system, in the structure of society, in the social status of languages...), the action of cognitive and linguistic tools in the integration of these transformations, and contact between human groups. These are, after all, the factors that condition diversity in the conceptualization of the world: linguistic creativity and cultural diversity. (2) How standardization and globalization have affected the evolution of the Catalan lexicon, with special attention to the continuity of the primordial lexicon, lexico-semantic creativity and territorial diversity. (3) The role that general and specialized lexicography can play in the preservation and dissemination of the primordial lexicon, lexico-semantic creativity and territorial diversity.
Article outline
  • 1.Primordial words: A pillar of salt?
  • 2.Lexical creativity and the conceptualization of the world: The challenge of the future
  • 3.The life cycle of words and society
    • 3.1Decline of words or meanings
    • 3.2Neologisms that have been integrated as primordial vocabulary
  • 4.Dictionaries and the choice of lexis
    • 4.1Functions, nomenclatures, and selection criteria
    • 4.2The concept of primordial lexis in dictionaries
    • 4.3Thematic areas of the primordial lexis
  • 5.The challenges for future dictionaries: Primordial lexis
    • 5.1The diffusion and preservation of the primordial lexis, a co-operative task
    • 5.2The challenges for future dictionaries
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
  • Consulted dictionaries
References (30)
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Consulted dictionaries
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