Abbreviations in social media communication

Abbreviations form a large part of current social media communication, where messages are conditioned by time and space, allowing for fast communication in a limited space. Many abbreviations do not have an impact on language data, since they are just an alternative form of their corresponding non-abbreviated expression. However, they are a productive source of neologisms. This article presents an analysis of the trendy abbreviations used in social media by Portuguese youth and the associated neology phenomena. The lexicographic treatment of these abbreviations in the context of planning a dictionary designed to help people cope with these new trends is discussed, with a particular emphasis on neologisms. In considering the target audience and the main focus of users’ needs and profiles in modern lexicography, the decisions presented cover general options for data selection, and for the definition and design of the microstructure and macrostructure of the dictionary.