Linguistic creativity: Is it really the violation of the language norm?

Abstract

The paper sets out to show that linguistic creativity which is usually associated with inventive, imaginative, and frequently unexpected use of language means to enhance the expressive back up of communication should not be taken as mere violation of the universally accepted language and/ or communicative norm. Linguistic creativity is a feature of language performance based on language competence which is unthinkable without the norm, the latter being described as a set of mental models underlying the formation of utterances which are to be built according to the acknowledged codified rules of grammar and phonetics as well as the rules of making up word combinations. The norm codifies prescriptive use but also allows for certain variability which helps to adapt language performance to the constantly changing communicative environment. Thus, language competence implies the knowledge of the scope of norm variability, and with regard to this point, linguistic creativity may be defined as testing the variability potential of the language system in discourse with special reference to the limits it might be extended to. Linguistic creativity is found on all levels of the language system including borrowings, though the latter are usually left out of language creativity studies. However, the material of English (a Germanic language), where Romance borrowings constitute more than half of its vocabulary, shows that borrowings prove to be a good point of departure for language creativity but only in case they are fully adapted to the recipient language system.