Adaptation of Loanwords in Chasu
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Date
2019
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Journal of Linguistics, and Language in Education
Abstract
It is generally agreed that, in a multilingual context, the incorporation of foreign words into a native language is inevitable. However, owing to variations in languages’ systems (phonology, morphology, syntax), each language has its own strategies for adapting loanwords to its system. This paper presents the strategies through which loanwords are integrated into Chasu vocabulary. The data were obtained from Kamusi ya Chasu-Kiingereza-Kiswahili (Mreta 2008) and the fieldwork conducted in Rundugai and Chemka villages in Kilimanjaro Region. The paper is guided by two theoretical approaches, namely the Theory of Constraint and Repair Strategy (TCRS) (Paradis & Lacharite, 1997) and Assimilation Theory (McMahon, 1994; Campbell, 1998; Winford 2003). The paper shows that loanwords are subjected to both phonological and morphological modifications when they are borrowed by Chasu. It is posited that the influx of loanwords in Chasu will eventually lead to the introduction of foreign phonemes into the language’s phonemic system.
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Keywords
loanwords, phonological adjustments, morphological adjustments, phonemic system, Chasu
Citation
Msuya, J. & Mreta, A. 2019. Adaptation of Loanwords in Chasu. Journal of Linguistics, and Language in Education. Volume 13, Number 1 pp. 26-46.