Concepts and Types of Korean Nonce Word

This article aims to reevaluate and redefine the concept of nonce words, while also delineating several distinct categories within this term. Traditionally, a “nonce word” is understood as a newly coined lexical item, created ad hoc to satisfy a particular communicative need in a given context. However, interpretations of nonce words differ among researchers, who employ varying frameworks and cite different examples to illustrate their use. Currently, there is no unified theoretical framework governing the study of nonce words. As such, it is essential to revisit the fundamental question of what constitutes a nonce word and to propose a more precise definition of the concept.