Language as an Economic Instrument: the Neononation of Individuals in the Healthy Lifestyle Discourse and the New Consumer Reality (A Case Study of the Lexeme zozhnik)

Introduction. This article examines the role of neonotations with personal meaning in the wellness field, using the linguocultural type “zozhnik” as a case study within Russian digital consumer culture. Based on materials from Russian online stores and social media, it is demonstrated that these neologisms do not merely name but actively construct new identities and consumption models, functioning simultaneously as an instrument of marketing targeting and as a ready-made foundation for the construction of digital identity. Methodology and sources. The methodological framework is grounded in E. S. Kubryakova's theory of word-formation nomination, supplemented by frame analysis using the category-slot model. The materials are drawn from the social network VKontakte and the commercial platforms “Zozhnik” and “VkusVill”, reflecting various features of personal neonotations in the wellness field. Results and discussion. The research has developed a three-component cognitive model of the “zozhnik” frame, comprising the categories: practitioner and agent, identity and community, and the value category. The analysis reveals that the lexicalization of the neologism leads to the formation of stable conceptual slots within each category, which are actualized differently in network discourse and business discourse. In network discourse, “zozhnik” operates within the opposition of “us” versus “them”, whereas in business discourse, its recategorization occurs through three new referents, thereby facilitating the production of new consumer practices. Conclusion. The case of the neologism “zozhnik” demonstrates that the lexicalization of anthropocentric nominations in the wellness field represents not merely a linguistic process but also an economic mechanism for the production of consumer reality. The study confirms that language functions as an active economic instrument, and that the process of lexicalization contributes to the commodification of identity and the formation of new models of consumer behavior in the digital age.

Authors: Yijin Ye, Svetlana V. Kiseleva

Direction: Linguistics

Keywords: neologisms, personal names, lexicalization, zozhnik, neonotations, linguocultural type, subculture, identity, consumerism, cognitive word-formation

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