New and Outdated Words in Press Information Between 1998-2002 (in Comparison to 1963-1967)

Dorota Lewandowska

Changes taking place in reality outside and within a language are illustrated, among other places, in transformations of vocabulary used in press information. A systematic analysis of two analogous text samples (from the 1963.67 and the 1998.2002 periods of time), basing on a comparison of vocabulary appearing solely in one or the other sample, allows a presentation of these lexical areas in which the above mentioned processes take place with the strongest intensity. At the same time, it also enables us to partly characterize the factors influencing the style of press information and the undergoing changes. Research shows that groups of new and outdated words of approximately equal volume, from the 1998.2002 period of time, are distinctly diversified regarding proportions of class language units in their make-up.

KEYWORDS

press information, changes in vocabulary used, new words, outdated words