Publication Details
Abstract
The article gives a detailed discussion of the way English colloquialisms were processed in contemporary lexicography with emphasis on its semantic flativity, pragmatic malleability, and social cultural realities. It underlines the fact that being living elements of every-day communication, colloquialisms never cease their evolution based on the shifts in the social values, media impact and technical advancement. This presents a problem to lexicographers, who have to determine the best way to represent these informal expressions without failing to obtain the contextual overtones that existed in their original form. The study points at semantic instability of colloquial units and proves that they change their meaning often depending on the register, the age group, or social community. Additionally, the paper explains why the digital corpora and user-generated data is becoming increasingly significant in deciding on the frequency, connotation and cultural meaning of colloquialism in face-to-face communication. These results indicate that colloquialisms supplement the English lexical system and require the new lexicographic paradigm based on the descriptive adaptability, sociocultural sensitivity and use of technological tools, including corpus-based analytics and dictionary compilation with the help of AI. Finally, the research concludes the argument that the right way to ensure the success of representation of colloquial language in contemporary dictionaries is a compromise between the traditional lexicographic principles and the emerging realities of spoken English and online communication culture.