Neologisms in Suzanne Collins’ Science Fiction Trilogy, The Hunger Games

Abstract

This research examines the morphological analysis of newly coined words in Suzanne Collins' science fiction trilogy, The Hunger Games. Its objective is to recognize the newly created terms in the trilogy, categorize them according to their content word types, and investigate the processes used to form these words. The linguistic method used in this study is structural analysis, a qualitative research method. The verbal data was taken from the first book of Suzanne Collins' science fiction trilogy, The Hunger Games in 2008 which consists of 27 untitled chapters, each chapter evenly divided into three titled parts with a total of 99,750 words. This study yields 26 identified neologisms. There are seven proper nouns with 16 common nouns. There is adjective content word category and another with verb category. There is no identified neologism with adverb category. The word formation processes of the neologisms were compounding, derivation, clipping, category extensions, back formations, folk etymologies and blending. Based on the findings, this study concludes that the science fiction trilogy, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins reveals the morphological structures of the neologisms’ content words and word formation processes in its textuality. It recommends therefore that the morphemic analysis of neologisms either in fiction and nonfiction genre is a valuable resource for language learning that benefits anyone concerned across all levels of education. The study of language structures dealing with content word categories of neologisms elicits potential studies revealing more of their morphemic, structural contents. The investigation of the word formation processes of the neologisms also show a great deal of enriched meaning and interpretation that is way beyond common knowledge and belief one has to know while the glossary of neologisms based on the novel of Suzanne Collins, the output of this study is a linguistic aid to the study of creative words and neologisms in language and literature courses.