MORPHOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN GEN Z LANGUAGE AND THEIR IMPACT ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE USAGE

Abstract

Language is ever evolving, and Generation Z (Gen Z), individuals born between 1997 and 2012 (Dimock, 2019). According to Pew Research Center, Gen Z encompasses those born from 1997 onward, marking a distinct generational cohort. This generation has produced significant morphological changes that influence English language terminology. Generation Z has introduced novel lexical forms that contest conventional language standards. This study performed a limited corpus analysis of these morphological modifications by investigating blending, affixation, and semantic shifts. The corpus is created by concentrating on social media sites such as Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, along with performing semi-structured ethnographic interviews with 10 Gen Z participants from Pakistan. This research examines the wider implications for the future evolution of English vocabulary among Gen Z participants. Thus, it was disclosed that word production procedures including coinage, borrowing, compounding, blending, clipping, acronyms, affixation, conversion, and numerous processes were employed to generate Generation Z slang. Furthermore, the data disclosed supplementary word creation mechanisms, including contraction, reduplication, and orthographic alteration. The majority of slang term development among Pakistani Generation Z was classified as a modification in spelling. Future academics might attain a more profound comprehension of the linguistic evolution of Pakistan's Generation Z and its distinctions from preceding generations by analyzing linguistic patterns and lexical forms.