Toward a Typological Classification of Linguistic Borrowing review
It’s a short but
very well-composed article about linguistic borrowings. The author starts with
the main problem in the field: General Linguistics still lacks of valid
classification system of linguistics borrowings. He examines the previous
attends by other scholars through analyzing the reasons for their failure. He
uses four categories for general classification based on the most important
scholars in the field. The first group is cultural borrowing versus intimate
borrowing. The second is based on the hierarchical relationship between
varieties of speech like national languages versus dialects. The third is a
distinction between loanword, loan translation/calque and loanblends/ hybrids.
The fourth is a classification according to the sub-system of the receiving
language. He says that a typology of borrowing according to the linguistic
level affected would be the most efficient proposal for classification.
He distinguishes
formal borrowings, morphological borrowings, semantic borrowings, lexical
borrowings, syntactic borrowings, phraseological borrowings and pragmatic
borrowings. Formal borrowings are phonological and orthographic borrowings
because they only affect the form, not the meaning. They are rare and usually
occur through speaker’s error. Morphological borrowings usually are more common
when a mass of loanwords enter a language. Semantic borrowings happen when a
unity of meaning is transferred to a word which shows formal or semantic
analogy. Lexical borrowings are the most common type of borrowings. He divides
into three sub-categories: importation which means the direct, classical
transfer of a lexeme, both with its form and its meaning. Loanblends or hybrids
which are hybrids of importation and substitution. For example, footballer in
Spanish becomes futbolista. The last sub-category is substitution or
loan-translation. Syntactic borrowings are sometimes difficult to distinguish
from morphological borrowings. Syntactic borrowings take into account
grammatical relations. Phraseological borrowings can be considered as a
sub-group of loan-translations because they are only possible as ‘morphemic
substitution’. Pragmatic borrowings or pragmatic interference as the author
proposes, mainly occur in bilingual situations.
I recommend it
to everyone who is interested in linguistics borrowings, both to experts and
amateurs. Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel to get updated about my new
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