Abstract: The article is based on the analysis of a metalexicographical study of words which were newly included in Nouveau Petit Robert électronique 2012, a recognized reference work. The main means of French word formation are presented, as are the subject fields in which they appear. The most productive word formation patterns belong to internal matrices, and account for a total of 303 new entries. Of particular note are the many novel compounds using splinters, such as bioterrorisme (s.m.), eurosceptique (sm.), écorecharge (s.f.), and the declining percentage of new words in the human sciences, contrary to the fields of science and technology.
