Word Formation and Meanings of English Words Related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the word formation in English occurred in the period of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 outbreak and appeared in the social media in Thailand. It also categorizes the semantic domains of those words. The frameworks applied in the study are morphology and semantics in the field of linguistics. The study also provides some remarks on the use of some words by referring to the political correctness in the field of sociolinguistics. The findings reveal six processes of word formation: compounding, borrowing, derivation, blending, acronyms, and multiple processes. They are already used in the English language, which have more specific meanings in this pandemic context. The meaning extension is under both metaphor and metonymy processes. Those words found can be categorized into 10 semantic domains: behavior, prevention, equipment, diagnosis, people, place, spread, names of vaccine, names of COVID-19, and symptoms and diseases due to the pandemic. The findings also show that even letters can be used in order to lessen stigma and accusation on others or specific groups of people.