Événement discursif ou événement linguistique : l’emprunt et le terme dans le vocabulaire de l’internet

Lexical borrowing is a social process, and to account for it, it is necessary to underline the importance of human activities in language change. In analysing the French vocabulary of the Internet, this article takes as a starting point the broadly-based concept of the “event”, thereby shedding light on the social dynamics linked to borrowing. It investigates the concept of the linguistic event, which can be applied to the neological reaction leading to the conscious creation of new terms by French terminologists. This approach brings together the coining of new words and the conscious efforts of those involved, using lexical semantics and discourse analysis. As a conclusion, however, the article leaves the question open as to whether there is a clear distinction to be made between a linguistic and a discursive event.