John Stammers

Changes in content, lexis and semantics Page 77: Classroom Activity 1 In this classroom activity we were presented with a passage containing a number of borrowings (or loan words) that appear in the table below. I shall present where the word originates from as well as suggest why the English language might borrow words from other cultures. Word
Poncho Anorak Parka Ski Chocolate Knapsack Tobogganing Kamikazed Igloo Anonymous Tattooed Pow-wow Cannibal Assassin Trekked Zero Marmalade Coffee Sushi Tortilla Moussaka Shish kebab Tea Sherbet Dungarees Barbecue Safari Kayak Cruise Hammock Mosquitoes Pyjamas Guitar

Origin*
South American Spanish Greenland Eskimo Russian Norwegian, Old Norse Nahuatl, Spanish German Canadian French Japanese Greenlandic, Canadian English Greek Tahitian, Tongan, Samoan, Marquesan New England Algonquian (Narragansett) Spanish Arabic, Anglo-Latin South African Dutch Arabic, French, Italian Portuguese Arabic Japanese Spanish Arabic, Turkish Turkish Chinese (Mandarin) Turkish, Persian Hindi Arawak, Spanish Arabic, Kiswahili Danish, Greenland Eskimo Latin, Dutch Taino, Spanish Spanish, Portugese Persian Spanish

*Some English words originally derive from a different word that has a similar definition, which may or may not sound similar.

The English language may borrow words from other cultures for a number of reasons. For example, the serving of raw fish in restaurants was pioneered by the Japanese and they called it sushi. When English people began serving the same dish, it most likely seemed logical to adopt the name also. Another example, poncho is an item of clothing somebody in Britain would most likely not wear due to the difference in climate. As the clothing has not integrated into British fashion, there would be no requirement to refer to the item by any other name than its original one. Another possible reason could be due to the number of countries that Britain either invaded or were invaded by, which would explain the French and Spanish influences.