Lexical borrowing typically is the adoption of individual words or even large sets of

vocabulary items from another language or dialect. It can also include roots and affixes,
sounds, collocations, and grammatical processes. However the term borrowing in this
context is wrong since new words are not given back after a later stage. Borrowing is
important because languages are not sufficient within themselves and require new words to
be added to their vocabularies.
How does borrowing happen?
Borrowing can happen through language contact: speakers of one language come into
contact with the speakers of a culturally dominant language. Through reasons such as trade,
displacement, or any natural calamity.

Lexical borrowing in Spanish

Spanish is a romance language and is derived from an informal dialect of Latin called Vulgar
Latin which was brought to the Iberian peninsula by the Romans in 218 BC. Therefore, to
understand the influences on Modern Spanish we must look at the Iberian peninsula.
Throughout history Spanish has accepted many loanwords, firstly from Pre-Roman
Languages which were spoken by the Iberian communities.

Izquierda (left) is borrowed from the Basque word Ezker (left). Many surnames have also
been derived from Basque such as Garcia and Echverria.

Visigoths who were an early Germanic people-controlled Spain from 5th to 8th century.
Therefore, Spanish borrowed the following words from the Gothic:
Ganso (goose) from the Gothic word Gans.
Attaviar (“to dress up”) from the word attajuan (“to mend”)

In 711 AD the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by Arabic-speaking Muslims who had
recently conquered a large part of the Northwest Africa and continued till the 15th century.
Borrowing the following words:
1. Military and administrative terms such as alcázar "fortress" (from Latin castrum
"encampment, castle", through Arabic),[4] alcalde "mayor", barrio "ward,
neighborhood", aldea "village";
2. Leisure and comfort items such as alfombra "carpet", almohada "pillow", guitarra
"guitar" (from Greek kithāra "zither, cithara", through Arabic);[4]
3. Legal terms such as asesino "assassin, murderer", rehén "hostage", tarifa "tariff,
fee", arancel "fee";
4. Food and beverage names such as aceite "oil", arroz "rice", espinaca "spinach" and
naranja "orange" (both from Persian, through Arabic),[4] café "coffee" (from Arabic
through Turkish and then Italian),[4] azúcar "sugar";
5. Terms of architecture and craftsmanship such as alcoba "alcove, room", azotea "flat
roof", albañil "mason", tabique "dividing wall", adoquín "paving
stone", adobe "adobe", alfarero "potter", taza "cup", jarra "pitcher";
 6. Chemical substances and materials such as alcohol "alcohol", álcali "alkali" (through Late
Latin, hence the initial stress),[4] laca "lacquer"(from Sanskrit through Persian and then
Arabic);[4]
7. Mathematical and astronomical terms such as cero "zero" (through Late Latin and then
Italian),[4] cifra "cipher, figure", álgebra "algebra" (through Late Latin, hence the initial
stress),[4] cenit "zenith" (Arabic semt ar-ra's, with an apparent misreading of -m- as -ni- in
13th-century manuscripts),[4] guarismo "number, figure"

In October 1492 Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the Americas, and thereafter
Spanish settlers began to come into contact with a host of native American languages. Most of
these were wiped out or severely reduced in number of speakers and distribution area during the
conquest, but Spanish adopted a number of words from some of them. The following list is by no
means exhaustive.

From Nahuatl: tomate "tomato", chocolate "chocolate", ajolote "axolotl", cacao "cocoa", coyote
"coyote", zapote "zapotl [es]", cuate (friend or twin) "coatl" (snake), mecate, "mecatl" (rope),
aguacate "ahuacatl" (avocado) and hundreds or thousands more words, even reaching the
English language.

From Quechua: cóndor (from kuntur) "condor", cancha (from kancha) "playing field", alpaca (from
allpaqa), caucho (from k'awchu) "rubber", coca (from kuka), guano (from wanu), gaucho (orig.
wakcha "poor person"), guanaco (from wanaku), llama, puma, pampa "plains, flat terrain".[13]

From Guaraní: caracú "bone marrow", catinga "body odor", chamamé (a folk music genre),
tapera "ruins", jaguar, yaguareté "jaguar", mate (an infusion, orig. mati "pumpkin").

From Carib: caimán "caiman", huracán "hurricane", caníbal "cannibal", canoa "canoe" (through
Arawak).

From Tupi: capibara (the largest rodent on Earth), jacarandá (a tree).

Conclusion
Lexical borrowing has enriched the Spanish language, adding depth and nuance to its
vocabulary. These borrowed words have become an integral part of the language and are
commonly used in everyday speech. The process of lexical borrowing reflects the cultural
and historical ties between Spain and the countries from which it has borrowed words. It also
reflects the global nature of language and the way in which languages continually evolve and
change. A study reveals that lexical borrowing in Spanish, from a variety of languages
including Latin, French, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Provencal, and Catalan, accounts for 41
percent of the basic Spanish vocabulary, with variation in source according to historical
period.
English is also a source of lexical borrowing in Spanish. This is due to the increasing global
influence of English and the significant presence of English-speaking communities in many
parts of the world. Some examples of English borrowings in Spanish include "shopping",
"marketing", "jogging", and "golf".

Another source of lexical borrowing in Spanish is French. This is due to the historical and
cultural influence of France on Spain. Some examples of French borrowings in Spanish
include "café", "bisturí", "limusina", and "champán".