Creation and Use
Nonce words frequently arise through the combination of an existing word with a familiar prefix or suffix, in order to meet a particular need (or as a joke). The result is a special kind of pseudoword: although it would not be found in any dictionary, it is instantly comprehensible: e.g. Bananaphone. If the need recurs (or the joke is widely enjoyed) the word may enter regular use.
Alternatively, nonce words can be logatomes. These are nonsense words that nevertheless obey the phonotactics of a language, that "sound like" native words. Many examples are found in nonsense verse, such as "Jabberwocky". Nonce words may also disobey the phonotactics, such as fnord (fn- does not occur in modern English), or be barely pronounceable or unpronounceable nonsense, such as kwyjibo.
Nonce words are often created as part of pop culture and advertising campaigns. A poem by Seamus Heaney entitled "Nonce Words" is included in his collection "District and Circle".
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Famous quotes containing the word creation:
“The private detective of fiction is a fantastic creation who acts and speaks like a real man. He can be completely realistic in every sense but one, that one sense being that in life as we know it such a man would not be a private detective.”
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)