Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic Features of New German Verbs (A Case Study of Internet Verbs Emerging between 2000 and 2020)

The aim of this study is to identify and analyze the paradigmatic and syntagmatic characteristics of verbal neologisms in contemporary German, using Internet-related verbs that emerged between 2000 and 2020 as the primary research material. The relevance of the study lies in the rapid development of digital communication, social media, and Internet technologies, which have accelerated lexical innovation and contributed to the emergence of new verbal patterns in German.
The research objectives include identifying the main word-formation mechanisms of new verbs, examining their paradigmatic relations (synonymy, antonymy, polysemy, and derivational links), analyzing their syntagmatic combinability in different communicative contexts, and assessing the influence of digital communication on the development of the German verbal system.
The study employs descriptive, structural-semantic, corpus-linguistic, contextual, comparative, and statistical methods. The research material consists of Internet-related verbs selected from contemporary German dictionaries, electronic corpora, media sources, and digital platforms. Tables and diagrams were used to present data on usage frequency, word-formation productivity, semantic features, and syntagmatic patterns.
The findings reveal that Internet-related verbs demonstrate high word-formation productivity, are actively integrated into the grammatical system of contemporary German, and exhibit expanding paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations. These verbs show considerable semantic flexibility and contribute to the formation of new lexical-semantic groups and stable collocations.
The study concludes that verbal neologisms are not only enriching the German vocabulary but also serve as an important factor in its ongoing development. The results contribute to research in German neology, lexicology, and grammar and have practical value for lexicography, corpus linguistics, translation studies, and German language teaching.