MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS, WORD FORMS, INSTAGRAM

This study aims to analyze the morphological structures and forms of language used by Instagram users, highlighting the innovative ways in which they modify and create words in their social media interactions. The set objectives include: to identify and categorize various morphological patterns, including neologisms, abbreviations, and blends, that are commonly used in Instagramposts and comments; to examine the sociolinguistic factors that influence the creation and usage of these morphological forms, including age, cultural background, and social context; to analyze the impact of Instagram's visual nature on language use, particularly how images and emojis interact with and shape word forms; and to contribute to the broader discourse of language evolution in digital communication by offering insights into how social media platforms influence morphological innovation in everyday language. Data for the study was collected using a qualitative content analysis approach focused on Instagram posts and comments. The primary source of data consisted of public posts tagged with specific hashtags relevant to language use, such as wordplay, slang, and neologism, which are likely to showcase a rich variety of morphological innovations. Additionally, a sample of comments beneath selected posts were included to capture the interactive aspect of communication on the platform. A systematic sampling method was employed to ensure diverse representation across different user demographics, including age, gender, and cultural background. The data collection also consideredvarying types of users, such as influencers and everyday users, to examine anyvariations in morphological language use. This process was conducted over aspecified timeframe to ensure relevance and currency in the examples beinganalyzed. Qualitative content analysis was utilized to systematically analyze themorphological structures identified in the Instagram posts and comments. The10analysis involved coding the data to identify recurring patterns, categories, and themes related to morphological innovations, such as initialisms, abbreviations, and affixations. Each identified instance of morphologicalstructure was examined in context to understand its usage, meaning, andpotential sociolinguistic influences.