ABSTRACT
Creativity is basic to a wide variety of different language uses, from everyday advertising language and slogans to the most elaborated of literary texts. This chapter investigates the cultural history of the word creativity and examines changes to the meaning of some keywords connected with creativity. Exploring the main lexical partners of the word creative such as individual, genius and originality reveals that views of creativity change over time and that our understandings vary according to different sociohistorical and cultural positions. The chapter shows that linguistic, social and cultural factors are considered for the investigations of creativity. It also examines current and recent research into creativity from within the field of psychology. A sociolinguistic, socioanthropological and sociocultural perspective on creativity underlines how creativity is both differently accented and socially constructed in different times and places. Historiometric measures and biographical accounts of eminent creators have enabled researchers to identify recurring personality features associated with creative acts.
