TEMPORAL AND SEMANTIC PERSISTENCE OF COVID-19-RELATED LEXICAL UNITS IN ENGLISH, 2020–2026
Keywords:
COVID-19 neologisms, diachronic corpus linguistics, Sketch Engine, lexical persistence, semantic shift, coronaspeak, English Trends.Abstract
This study examines the temporal development of 15 COVID-19-related lexical units in English digital discourse between 2020 and 2026 using the English Trends corpus in Sketch Engine. A diachronic corpus-based design combines annual and quarterly frequency analysis with targeted late-period concordance inspection for seven units. The results show that most items peaked during the early pandemic period, but their subsequent trajectories diverged substantially. Some coinages approached disappearance, whereas others retained residual or strong contemporary use. Pre-existing expressions likewise followed contrasting paths, including sharp decline, broader post-pandemic continuation, and continued growth. Qualitative evidence further demonstrates that continued corpus frequency does not necessarily indicate persistence of a COVID-specific meaning. The findings therefore support a distinction between quantitative lexical persistence and semantic or functional persistence and show that pandemic-associated vocabulary follows multiple post-emergence trajectories rather than a uniform pattern of decline.
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