Neologism

Neologism

A neologism is a nonword approximating to a real word, produced in spontaneous speech; it is thought to result from an inability to organize phonemes appropriately in the process of speech production. Hence, this is a type of literal or phonemic paraphasia encountered in aphasic syndromes, most usually those resulting from left superior temporal lobe damage (Wernicke type). (The word "scientist" is said to be a neologism coined in the nineteenth century by William Whewell.)

Cross References

Aphasia; Paraphasia; Schizophasia; Wernicke’s aphasia