Abstract
This paper deals with the topic of archaism, assessing what may or may not be archaic in a language or in a speech, in contrast to what constitutes an innovation. Subsequently, an attempt is made to establish different types of archaisms or retentions.
With regard to linguistic innovation, some of the most representative cases of the Cuban variant of Spanish are presented, simultaneously investigating different mechanisms of formation of new terms. The cases described are illustrated with entries taken from a lexicographical work of personal authorship, or likewise with usage examples mainly taken from the reference corpuses CORDE and CREA.