Language Contact
Intercultural Communication Studies XIV: 2 2005
Hoffer - Language Borrowing
Language Borrowing and the Indices of Adaptability and Receptivity
Bates L. Hoffer Trinity University Introduction One of the most easily observable results of intercultural contact and communication is the set of loanwords that is imported into the vocabulary of each language involved. The field of cultures and languages in contact (Weinreich 1953) has grown a great deal over the past fifty years. From the early studies, a 'Scale ' or 'Index of Receptivity ' has been posited for languages which more readily accept borrowings. Alongside that scale, a 'Scale of Adaptability ' has been posited. The study of a language 's adaptability and receptivity of borrowed words, especially those from International English, provides some interesting case studies. Major languages such as English, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese make good case studies for the discussion of the indices of adaptability and receptivity. Language Borrowing Processes Language borrowing has been an interest to various fields of linguistics for some time. (Whitney 1875, deSaussure 1915, Sapir 1921, Pedersen 1931, Haugen 1950, Lehmann 1962, Hockett 1979, Anttila 1989) In the study language borrowing, loanwords are only one of the types of borrowings that occur across language boundaries. The speakers of a language have various options when confronted with new items and ideas in another language. Hockett (1958) has organized the options as follows. (1) Loanword Speakers may adopt the item or idea and the source language word for each. The borrowed form is a Loanword. These forms now function in the usual grammatical processes, with nouns taking plural and/or possessive forms of the new language and with verbs and adjectives receiving native morphemes as well. (2) Loanshift Another process that occurs is that of adapting native words to the new meanings. A good example from the early Christian era in England is Easter, which
Hoffer - Language Borrowing
Language Borrowing and the Indices of Adaptability and Receptivity
Bates L. Hoffer Trinity University Introduction One of the most easily observable results of intercultural contact and communication is the set of loanwords that is imported into the vocabulary of each language involved. The field of cultures and languages in contact (Weinreich 1953) has grown a great deal over the past fifty years. From the early studies, a 'Scale ' or 'Index of Receptivity ' has been posited for languages which more readily accept borrowings. Alongside that scale, a 'Scale of Adaptability ' has been posited. The study of a language 's adaptability and receptivity of borrowed words, especially those from International English, provides some interesting case studies. Major languages such as English, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese make good case studies for the discussion of the indices of adaptability and receptivity. Language Borrowing Processes Language borrowing has been an interest to various fields of linguistics for some time. (Whitney 1875, deSaussure 1915, Sapir 1921, Pedersen 1931, Haugen 1950, Lehmann 1962, Hockett 1979, Anttila 1989) In the study language borrowing, loanwords are only one of the types of borrowings that occur across language boundaries. The speakers of a language have various options when confronted with new items and ideas in another language. Hockett (1958) has organized the options as follows. (1) Loanword Speakers may adopt the item or idea and the source language word for each. The borrowed form is a Loanword. These forms now function in the usual grammatical processes, with nouns taking plural and/or possessive forms of the new language and with verbs and adjectives receiving native morphemes as well. (2) Loanshift Another process that occurs is that of adapting native words to the new meanings. A good example from the early Christian era in England is Easter, which
References: Hoffer - Language Borrowing Sanseido Henshubu (1972) Konsaisu Gairaigo Jiten (Concise Loanword Dictionary), Tokyo: Sanseido