Aproximación al estudio de la retronimia en español: principios teóricos y análisis computacional de datos masivos

Abstract The aim of this paper is to shed light on an almost unexplored lexicogenetic mechanism, namely retronymy, with the intention to contribute to its definition and analysis in a theoretical and applied linguistic framework, while focusing, at the same time, on the investigation of Spanish, for which no study specifically dedicated to this phenomenon is available. In a first approximation, we define retronymy as a relexicalization of an existing referent as a consequence of the appearance of a conceptual and formal neologism with which it maintains a semantic relation: i.e. the old guitar starts to be named acoustic guitar to contrast it with the more recent electric guitar. Retronymic creation, which we conceive as a complex net of semantic and formal relations and as a special case of lexical cycle, can be set within the general frame of lexical change in specialized contexts, and more precisely, in the so called induced neonimy. The analysis and the understanding of the linguistic principles that govern the retronyms’ formation constitutes, in our view, an interesting observatory on linguistic change and highlights the social and cultural implications of language and lexical evolution, which call for further dedicated investigations. Moreover, in our paper we present a first computational approach to the description of retronymy in Spanish, by diachronically exploring big data. This allow us to trace and visualize some characteristic retronymic profiles, thus permitting to test our theoretical proposals. Globally, this paper hopes to contribute to define a new research subject, both for Spanish and general linguistics.