Borrowings in the English language

diplomsko delo

Abstract

English is nowadays considered the most widespread language in the world and the biggest donor language as well. Many languages still borrow from English. However, English has borrowed thousands of words from foreign languages in the course of history as well. Language borrowing is a widespread sociolinguistics phenomenon in the development of language. The words which are transferred from one language into another are called borrowings or loanwords. In comparison with Middle and Modern English the Old English had been very flexible in coining new words from native word stock and at that time there was no need for the introduction of foreign words. However, later, the speakers found it easier to adopt already existing words than to coin new ones. One of the arguments in favour of borrowings was the enrichment of the language and the ability to express the most sophisticated ideas and concepts as classical languages were able to do. In comparison with some other European countries there has been relatively little opposition to borrowings in English. Latin and French have been the biggest suppliers of words into English in the course of history. Words from Latin which were introduced into Old and Middle English were chiefly associated with the spheres warfare, commerce, agriculture, food and those aspects of human life, in which the Romans were regarded as superior culture. Many Latin words associated to church and religious services were introduced into English via Celtic due to the acceptance of Christianity among the English. Even now, many scholars turn to Latin when they need a word for a new concept or invention. The influx of French words into English began with the Norman Conquest in 1066, when French replaced English in public spheres and became an official language of government, administration, courts and among the upper classes of Norman nobility. Until the Modern English period, English acquired a lot of expressions associated with government, administration, military affairs, law, art, science as well as those related to fashion, food and entertainment. Namely, French was considered the main language of culture, prestige and civilisation in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the Modern period of English from 1500 on the influx of foreign words into English has continued, but English tends to borrow from less and less known languages, even exotic languages. Borrowings that have been introduced into English up to now cover most aspects of human life, including politics, government, military, society, culture, art and religion. Mostly words related to exotic ideas, concepts and objects are borrowed. In other words, the nouns that do not originally come from Great Britain are borrowed more frequently. As far as the word class of borrowings is concerned the nouns and lexical words are borrowed more frequently than grammatical words. This can be explained by the chief causes of borrowing, namely the necessity of borrowings for designation of new things and the enrichment of vocabulary of the borrowing language. More than 50 percents of all English words are of Latin and French origin. The remainder includes native English words or words of Anglo-Saxon origin and words from other languages (Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian, German, Dutch, etc.). However, many of borrowings are not used in everyday speech, but rather restricted to certain technical language. Therefore the basic vocabulary consists predominantly of native English words.

Keywords

angleški jezik;sociolingvistika;jezikovni stiki;sposojenke;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2009
Source:	Maribor
Typology:	2.11 - Undergraduate Thesis
Organization:	UM FF - Faculty of Arts
Publisher:	[K. Jug]
UDC:	811.111(043.2)
COBISS:	17197576
Views:	4298
Downloads:	348
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary title:	Sposojenke v angleškem jeziku
Secondary abstract:	Angleški jezik danes velja za najbolj razširjen jezik na svetu in tudi največji darovalec besed. Veliko jezikov prevzema besede iz angleščine. Kakorkoli, angleščina je skozi zgodovino tudi prevzela na tisoče besed iz tujih jezikov. Prevzemanje besed je zelo razširjen sociolingvistični pojav v razvoju jezika. Besede, ki so prenesene iz enega jezika v drugega, se imenujejo sposojenke. Stara angleščina je bila v primerjavi s srednjo in moderno angleščino dovolj okretna in sposobna izpeljati nove besede iz domačega besednega zaklada. Pozneje pa se je govorcem zdelo lažje prevzeti že obstoječe besede, kot pa ustvarjati nove. Eden izmed argumentov, ki govori v prid sposojenkam je obogatitev jezika in sposobnost izražati izpopolnjene ideje in koncepte, tako kot so to sposobni izražati klasični jeziki. Pravzaprav je bilo v angleščini v primerjavi z nekaterimi drugimi jeziki dokaj malo nasprotovanja sposojenkam. Latinščina in francoščina sta v vsej zgodovini prispevali največ besed v angleški jezik. Besede iz latinščine, ki so vstopile v staro in srednjo angleščino, so bile v glavnem povezane s področji vojskovanja, trgovanja, kmetijstva, hrane in s tistimi področji človekovega življenja, kjer so bili Romani vzor kot višja kultura. Veliko latinskih izrazov s področja cerkve in duhovnih dejavnosti je bilo v angleščino sprejetih preko keltskega jezika in na račun krščanstva, ki so ga sprejeli Angleži. Še vedno se mnogi učenjaki obrnejo k latinščini, ko potrebujejo izraz za nov koncept ali izum. Pritok besed iz francoščine v angleščino se je začel po normanski osvojitvi leta 1066, ko je francoščina nadomestila angleščino v javnosti in postala uraden jezik vlade, uprave, sodišč in višjih normanskih slojev. Vse do časa moderne angleščine je angleščina prevzela iz francoščine veliko izrazov, povezanih s področji vlade, uprave, vojaških zadev, zakona, umetnosti, znanosti, kot tudi mode, hrane in zabave. Francoščina je namreč v osemnajstem in devetnajstem stoletju veljala za jezik kulture, prestiža in civilizacije. V času moderne angleščine, od leta 1500 naprej, besede iz tujih jezikov še kar vstopajo v angleščino, vendar angleščina prevzema besede iz vse manj znanih, celo eksotičnih jezikov. Sposojenke, ki so prišle v angleščino do dandanes, pokrivajo večino področij človekovega življenja in delovanja, vključno s politiko, vlado, vojsko, družbo, kulturo, umetnost in religijo. Prevzete so predvsem besede, ki so povezane z eksotičnimi idejami, koncepti in stvarmi oziroma imena stvari, ki so tujega izvora. Glede besedne vrste sposojenk je treba omeniti, da so samostalniki in samostalniške besedne zveze bolj pogoste kot slovnične besede. To je mogoče razložiti s pomočjo glavnih vzrokov za prevzemanje, in sicer s potrebo po sposojenkah za poimenovanje novih stvari in obogatitvijo besedišča tistega jezika, ki prevzema. Več kot 50 odstotkov vseh angleških besed je prevzetih iz latinščine in francoščine. Preostale besede so bodisi domače oziroma anglosaškega izvora ali pa prevzete iz drugih jezikov (japonščine, kitajščine, italijanščine, španščine, skandinavskih jezikov, nemščine, nizozemščine idr.). Velika večina sposojenk pa se vendarle ne pojavlja v vsakdanjem govoru oziroma so omejene na določen strokovni jezik. Osnovno besedišče angleščine še vedno sestavljajo večinoma domače oz neprevzete besede.
Secondary keywords:	angleščina;sociolingvistika;jezikovni stiki;sposojenke;diplomska dela;Univerzitetna in visokošolska dela;
URN:	URN:SI:UM:
Type (COBISS):	Undergraduate thesis
Thesis comment:	Univ. v Mariboru, Filozofska fak., Oddelek za anglistiko in amerikanistiko
Pages:	106 f.
Keywords (UDC):	language;linguistics;literature;jezikoslovje;filologija;književnost;linguistics and languages;jezikoslovje in jeziki;languages;jeziki;germanic languages;germanski jeziki;english language;angleščina;
ID:	18119