REKLAMENEOLOGISMES

Abstract

SUMMARY English prototypes serve as models for most Afrikaans advertisements. In the early days almost all English advertisements were translated “locally”. This still happens, but to a far lesser extent; today the professional copywriter cum translator has entered the scene. The services rendered by the Afrikaans copywriter are extremely valuable. One of these services is the creation of new Afrikaans words. There are quite a few reasons why the copywriter has sometimes to create new words, e.g.: 1. The available dictionaries do not offer a suitable equivalent for the word or phrase to be translated.2. The thing to be named, is brand new; no Afrikaans “name” is available.3. Some English word patterns cross the Afrikaans border.4. Every language has a limited number of words covering a certain area of “reality”. Constant usage deprives these words of their strength, and new, salient ones have to be made.5. The copywriter tries to attract attention for his product, and one means is by presenting the reader with new words.6. Simply listing the characteristics and advantages of a product or service is not sufficient to promote its sales. The copywriter sometimes has to glorify the product or service.7. Economizing on space, the copywriter coins new, spacesaving words instead of using existing long words or phrases.8. The copywriter plays on the emotions of the potential buyer by means of new, emotion packed words.9. By means of new concepts—for which new words are needed—the copywriter creates a desire for the product or service advertised.10. One way of making the reader remember the copy—or a part thereof—is to lay new, striking words before him. Linguistics have not yet studied Afrikaans advertising neologisms. Nevertheless, it is of importance to lexicographers, terminologists and students of linguistic change, semantics and morphology. Lexicographers e.g., could have a great impact on the use of Afrikaans if they would record advertising neologisms in their dictionaries, so that these neologisms—some of which are gems—are systematically accessible.