Lexicalization

Lexicalization is the process of adding words, set phrases, or word patterns to a language – that is, of adding items to a language's lexicon. Whether or not word formation and lexicalization refer to the same process is the source of controversy within the field of linguistics. Most linguists assert that there is a distinction, but there are many ideas of what the distinction is. Lexicalization may be simple, for example borrowing a word from another language, or more involved, as in loan translation.