Borrowings in

English

Rusnac Ecaterina, grupa EG21Z

 Definition
Borrowings are foreign words, which have entered at various times the vocabulary of English, without influencing its
ulterior evolution as a language.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 02 03
Borrowings from Borrowings from
Definition
Greek Latin

04 05 06
Borrowings from Borrowings from Borrowings from
other Germanic Romanic other languages
languages Languages
Borrowings from
Greek
Words were borrowed from Greek in different periods of
time.
A few words entered English during Middle Ages: academy,
atom, diphthong, harmony, ecstasy, theater, tragedy, but they
came through Latin and French.
A considerable number of words were borrowed during the
Renaissance, alongside with many words from Latin.
● Unnecessaru words: to obfuscate, to deruncinate (= weed), ludibundness (= to love of sport).
● Words used everyday communication: atmosphere, autograph genius, pneumonia.
● Words that were borrowed twice (via French and via Latin): diamond – adamant (<
adamanta); balm – balsam (<balsamon); phantom – phantasm (< phantasma)
● Greek words combined with Latin words: analytical, lexeme, dictionary and vocabulary.
● Influence of Greek in medical science: neurology, antibiotic, allergy, leukemia, chromosome,
protoplasm.
Borrowings from
Latin
 Early Latin Borrowings
- Articles of consumption or referred to trade: camp
( O.E. camp < L. campus), cheese ( O. E. ciese < L.
caseus), copper ( O. E. copor < L. cuprum), butter ( O.
E. butere < L. butyrum ).
- Crucial symbols of Christianity: O. E. win < L. virum
“wine”
 Later Latin Borrowings
These words are connected with:
- religion: anthem, ( O. E. antefn < L. antiphone ‘verse response’)
- omestic life, plants and education:
Beet (O.E. bete < L. beta)
Lily (O.E. lilie < L. lilia)
School ( O. E. scol < L. schola)
Borrowings from other
Germanic languages
Common sphere of interest: spool pack, stripe, peg.
Pre-modern and modern period: bulwark, cruise, boom.
This age: to carouse, to plounder, Liverwust.
 Borrowings from
Romanic languages
French: ballet, beau, billet, doux, chagrin, intrigue, serenade, suite.
Spanish and Portuguese:
- armada, anchovy, bastinado, brocade, cargo, corral, marmalade, mosquito, sombrero,
toreador.
- cocoa., cannibal, tobacco, tomato, potato, chocolate.
Italien: terza, rima, sonnet, soprano, piano.
Borrowings from other
languages
Neo-Indian: baba, bandanna, curry.
Persian, Turkish, Arabic: alcohol, alchemy, almanac, caftan, emir, sheik, harem, aga, bey
Hebrew: seraph, cherub, bagel.
Australian aborigens: boomerang, dingo, kangaroo
 Refflections

Abut – Fr. Aboutir, from bout, the end of extremety of anything.

Abuse – L. ab, from utor, usus, to use.
Abyss – Gr. A, without, byssos, bottom.
Accoat – Fr. Accoster; L. ad. To, costa, a side.
Acquaint - old Fr. Accointer, L. cognitus, known, Ger. Kund, kennen, to know.
 Refferences
GRAUR Evelina, An outline of English Lexicology, Word-
formation, MEDIAMIRA, 2006
TATARU Cristina, An outline of English Lexicology, Limes
Thank you for
attention!