Borrowing (linguistics) facts for kids
A loanword is a word that one language takes from another language. Think of it like borrowing a toy from a friend – the word comes from a "donor" language and is then used in a "recipient" language. These words often change a little bit to fit the new language's sounds and spelling.
For example, the English word "sushi" comes from Japanese. It's a loanword because English borrowed it directly from Japanese. This is different from a calque, which is when you translate a phrase word-for-word from another language. Loanwords are simply borrowed, not translated.
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What Are Loanwords?
When a language borrows a word, it usually makes it fit in. This means the word might change its pronunciation, spelling, or how it's used in sentences. Sometimes, a loanword fits so well that it's hard to tell it wasn't always part of the language!
Loanwords vs. Calques
It's easy to mix up loanwords and calques, but they are different.
- A loanword is a word taken directly from another language without being translated.
- A calque (also called a loan translation) is when a phrase or idea is translated word-for-word from another language.
Let's look at some examples in English:
- Loanwords:
* Café comes from the French word café, meaning "coffee". * Bazaar comes from the Persian word bāzār, meaning "market". * Kindergarten comes from the German word Kindergarten, which means "children's garden".
- Calques:
* The English phrase loanword itself is a calque! It's a direct translation of the German word Lehnwort.
Sometimes, a whole phrase is borrowed, like the French term déjà vu (meaning "already seen") used in English. These are also types of borrowings.
How Loanwords Spread
Loanwords can spread in different ways:
- Everyday talk: Many common loanwords spread just by people talking and using them.
- Written language: Words used in science, technology, or literature often start in written form. For example, a new scientific discovery might have a name in one language that then gets borrowed by others.
Where Do Loanwords Come From?
Many loanwords come from areas where cultures have interacted a lot.
- Music and Arts: A lot of words about classical music come from Italian. Think of words like concerto, allegro, tempo, aria, opera, and soprano.
- Ballet and Sports: Many terms in ballet and fencing come from French.
- Food and Drink: This is a huge area for loanwords!
* From French cuisine: crêpe, Chantilly, crème brûlée. * From Italian: pasta, linguine, pizza, espresso. * From Chinese: dim sum, chow mein, wonton.
When Meanings Change
Sometimes, a loanword can take on a completely new meaning in the language that borrows it. This can happen in surprising ways!
- The English word Viking was borrowed into Japanese as baikingu. But in Japanese, baikingu means "buffet"! This happened because the first restaurant in Japan to offer buffet-style meals was named "Viking" in 1958, inspired by the Nordic smörgåsbord. So, the name of the restaurant became the word for the type of meal.
- The German word Kachel means "tile". When Dutch borrowed it, it became kachel, meaning "stove". This is because it was a shortened version of kacheloven, which came from the German word Kachelofen (a type of tiled stove).
See also
- Hybrid word
- Language contact
- Neologism
- Reborrowing
