JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

New terminologies or terms may be created as their need arises in order to fill up a gap or create effect in the course of trying to pass a message across. In creating a new terminology, the context of its use becomes very important. Anchoring on communicative theory of terminology, this paper examines the use of language in creating the terms COVID-19 and End SARS. The two concepts are first presented on the basis of the tenets of Leipzig’s glossing rule in order to clearly showcase their smallest morphological units, followed by an analysis using the communicative theory of terminology as a guide. The analysis has shown that the sounds /ko/, /vi/, /d/ represent “coronavirus-2 disease”, and “19” pragmatically signifies “2019”, the year the variant of the coronavirus disease known as severe acute respiratory syndrom (SARS-CoV-2) was witnessed in the entire world. Also, End SARS might seem to clearly stand for a call for the dissolution of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, but its meaning is extended to express displeasure over Nigerian government’s lookwarm attitude to many evils bedeviling Nigeria, like: police brutality on citizens, insecurity caused by boko haram insurgents/banditory, increasing high cost of living. Linguistic cum pragmatic considerations were made in coining COVID-19 and End SARS, and the choice of the terms is for easy communication.