A Contribution of Borrowed Elements into English

International Words

Etymological Doublets

They are two or more words of the same language derived from the same basic word by different routs and usage. One and the same word may be borrowed twice at different times or its different grammatical forms may be borrowed. Thus “mint” and “money” go back to “moneta”, “disk” and “dish” go back to “discus” (L.), “castle” and “château” are derived from OF “castel”. Other examples are “captain” and “chieftain”, “senior”, and “sir”, “pauper” and poor”, “skirt” – “shirt”, “ward” – “guard”, “hospital” and “hotel”.

New words of the same origin may come into different languages as a result of borrowing from one source and become international. Numerous contacts between nations and vocabularies lead to the formation of international vocabulary. International words are especially important in terminology of politics, arts, industry, science. Examples of comparatively new words may illustrate it: microfilm, computer, genetic code, bionics, antenna, algorhythm. We must also not forget international words, firmly long ago established in the languages: second, minute, time, professor, opera, jazz, club, sport, bar, cow-boy, etc.; some of our Russian words became international as well: csar, intelligentsia, Kremlin, lunochod, dacha, vodka, steppe, sambo, Soviet, rouble, perestroika, etc.

When studying the role of borrowed words in the enrichment of the vocabulary we must always bear in mind what changes these new words may cause in the language, how it may influence the lexical system; it is a matter of special study.

A survey of borrowings in English against historical background

English in the course of centuries of development has been periodically enriched and invigorated by elements of many languages. As Dr. Johnson observed, “Languages are the pedigrees of nations”. Whatever the original accents of the British Isles may have been, as laid down by the earliest Celts, they were altered and revised by repeated waves of invaders that crossed the Channel and the North Sea – the Romans, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings and finally the Normans. Today English is classified as a member of the Germanic linguistic family, which also includes German, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages. Yet more than half of its vocabulary is of Latin origin, implanted either directly during the four centuries or indirectly by eclectic borrowings in later epochs from modern French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Through the centuries it has borrowed so profusely from all other languages on earth and has assimilated words so successfully that today only professional scholars are aware of the national origins of many words in daily use. Here are some examples:

From Arabic: alcohol, alcove, algebra, alkali, cipher, cork, magazine, zenith, zero; and the slang phrase “so long” (from the Arabic “salaam” – and Hebrew shalom – “peace”).

From Dutch: brandy, gin, golf, uproar, wagon.

From Italian: balcony, brigade, colonel, piano, umbrella.

From Persian: check, chess, divan, lemon, lilac, shawl.

From Greek: acrobat, Bible, catastrophe, idiot, tactics.

From Spanish: alligator, canyon, ranch, sherry, rodeo.

From American: chocolate, potato, wigwam, mooassin.

Indian

70% of the English vocabulary consists of borrowings due to specific conditions of the English language development. The role played by borrowings is conditioned by direct and indirect linguistic contacts, The English language system absorbed and remodelled the majority of borrowings to its own standards but in spite of the changes they have undergone we can recognize them and trace their origin.

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