Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Jap - Loandwords/Borrowings 外来語

What is loanwords/borrowings? (外来語 in Japanese)
    Integrated code-switches; main criteria are frequency and distribution of use.

Why is there abundant amount of borrowings in Japanese?
    (i) Linguistic reason
         - lack of nominal inflection.
         - no marking for gender, person or number on nouns
         - cases are indicated by separate particles
         => Loanword can be inserted at any position without morphological readjustments
    (ii) Sociocultural reason
         - Japan has adopted many features from certain western nations


Historical Contact between Japanese and other languages
    - Chinese contact : 9-13th century (Buddhist impact)
    - European contact :
                  - early 16th century:  Christianity, including Portuguese
                                                      (about 200 words remain, mainly cultural items of food
                                                      and clothing)

                 - 17-18th century:      Isolation period
                                                     Some Dutch - used as language of external diplomacy
                                                     Dutch was also "carrier" for items from other languages.
                                                     Many loanwords about physical objects.

                 - 18th century:           increase in scientific loanwords, especially in medicine

                 - 19th century:           English, German, Russian, French
                                                     French: military terms, now associated with fashion,
                                                                  food, art, etc.
                                                     Russian: military and political terms
                                                     German: medicine, mountaineering, academic study

    - English contact
                 - ~1900s
                         - Before 1850s, extremely restricted
                         - 1853 - 1868 : opening to the west, modernisation and dissemination of
                                                  western knowledge
                                                  Commencement of English teaching and arrival of European
                                                  and Americans in various occupations
                         - 1868 - 1912 : Recruitment of European and American advisers and teachers
                                                  Development of English-Speaking elite

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