Volume 05 Issue 10-2024
37
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(ISSN
–
2767-3758)
VOLUME
05
ISSUE
10
Pages:
37-41
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2022:
6.
041
)
(2023:
7.
491
)
(2024:
8.235
)
OCLC
–
1242423883
Publisher:
Master Journals
ABSTRACT
The present article is dedicated to the factors of enrichment of the English literary language through different periods
of its development. As one of the most productive ways of enriching the word stock of the English language the author
regards borrowings from other languages. There is made an attempt to classify languages, from which English derived
words into several categories. One way to do this is done through the historical factor. Some linguistic and extra
linguistic factors of enriching the word stock of English are also analyzed in the article. As the languages, which had
greatly influenced the word stock of English the author regards Latin, French and Scandinavian languages.
KEYWORDS
Borrowed words, word stock, enrichment, literary language, social factor, cultural factor, external source, extra
linguistic, Old English Period, Middle English Period, New English Period.
INTRODUCTION
The development of a language is a natural factor of its
social existence as any language is a dynamic system.
The development of the language takes place due to
its continuous improvement and enrichment of
functionality. Such development is especially rapid in
the structure of the language vocabulary, and it is
clearly reflected at all levels of the language.
Language vocabulary is its most variable area, it
reflects all the changes in people's life and activities.
The ever-growing results of human knowledge are,
first of all, consolidated in new words and their
meanings. Thus, the vocabulary of the language is
continuously enriched with new words.
Research Article
WORDS BORROWED FROM FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND THEIR
INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORD
STOCK OF THE ENGLISH LITERARY LANGUAGE
Submission Date:
October 15, 2024,
Accepted Date:
October 20, 2024,
Published Date:
October 25, 2024
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/philological-crjps-05-10-07
Sobir Amirovich Khamzaev
Doctor Of Philosophy In Philology (Phd), Associate Professor, Uzbekistan State University Of World
Languages, Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://masterjournals.
com/index.php/crjps
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 05 Issue 10-2024
38
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(ISSN
–
2767-3758)
VOLUME
05
ISSUE
10
Pages:
37-41
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2022:
6.
041
)
(2023:
7.
491
)
(2024:
8.235
)
OCLC
–
1242423883
Publisher:
Master Journals
There are several factors that influence the
development of any language’s vocabulary stock.
Among them, as the most important factors scientists
point out social, cultural factors and the influence of
other languages. Some researchers note that “the
emergence of new words in the languages in question
occurs with great speed. Any event associated with the
development of the productive forces of society,
culture, science and technology entails the emergence
of certain concepts that require linguistic expression
[6, p. 341].
One of the external sources of enrichment of English
vocabulary is the acquisition of words from foreign
languages. In the 15th century, English speakers
established contacts with many nations of Europe and
the rest of the world. As a result of these contacts, a
large number of words were acquired (later
assimilated into the English language), because the
processes of communication between different
cultures were reflected in word acquisition. Linguistic
connections caused by extralinguistic factors are a
component of the complex processes of the
development of the language system [10, p. 115].
MAIN PART
The Old English Period (hereinafter OEP) vocabulary
was almost entirely Germanic, and hundreds of foreign
words were absorbed in the later stages of English
language development, despite strong resistance to
word assimilation. As a result, the number of Germanic
words in the English language decreased dramatically,
and as a result, the vocabulary of the New English
Period (hereinafter NEP) period became closer to the
vocabulary of Romance languages (mainly French)
than to languages belonging to the Germanic language
family. French, Scandinavian and Latin languages are
among the languages that have had the strongest
influence on the vocabulary of the English literary
language due to the existing historical conditions,
although it is told that the number and importance of
words derived from them is usually exaggerated [4, p.
171].
Some of the words borrowed from these languages
even entered the main lexical core, but a much larger
part of them was outside it. Later, due to the expansion
of trade and cultural contacts with other countries in
the 15th and 18th centuries, words from a number of
other languages, such as Italian, Spanish, and Dutch,
were absorbed into English. In connection with the
spread of the English language throughout the world
during the AD period, there appeared words borrowed
from the languages of the North American Indians.
After that, the range of related words in English
continued to expand. In this regard, we can cite
Russian, German, Indian, Australasian and Middle
Eastern languages as examples. Latin, Scandinavian
and French languages remained the main languages
from which words were borrowed into English, but
English literary language was not considered as the
only source of words from which words were
borrowed [1, p. 133].
The vocabulary of the English language has absorbed a
large number of words from different languages of the
world. The reasons for this lie in the peculiarities of
England’s historical development, which means that
English-speakers have been in regular contact with
many foreign-speaking peoples, first as a conquered
people and then as a colonizing people.
Socio-political changes in the life of English society are
an important external factor that had a certain impact
on the enrichment of the vocabulary stock of the
English literary language with words borrowed from
French, Scandinavian and Latin languages during the
corresponding political and social changes (Norman
conquest, Scandinavian invasion, Christianization, the
introduction of printing, etc.) [7, p. 166].
At a certain historical period in England, Latin and
French were also used as functional languages in
Volume 05 Issue 10-2024
39
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(ISSN
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2767-3758)
VOLUME
05
ISSUE
10
Pages:
37-41
SJIF
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FACTOR
(2022:
6.
041
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(2023:
7.
491
)
(2024:
8.235
)
OCLC
–
1242423883
Publisher:
Master Journals
various spheres of social activity. English has not
adopted words from all the languages with which it has
come into contact. However, these historical
circumstances explain why the number of borrowed
words in the English language is so high. That is why, it
seems to N.N. Amosov, that the attempts of western
scientists like Greenof and Keithgrej to explain this
phenomenon with the force of inertia as wrong. Here
we are talking about the fact that word assimilation
has become a habit for the English language, which has
absorbed many elements of a foreign language, and
Jespersen’s comments about the “linguistic laziness of
the English” and his conclusion that as a result of this
“laziness” the English people supposedl
y prefer to
assimilate words. The search for ways in which native
speakers of English convey the concepts acquired
using their native language leads to the search for
psychological reasons for these peoples’ preference
for using borrowed words. This, in turn, clearly
distracts from the only correct way that can provide a
solution to this problem
–
the interpretation of the
history of the peoples who are the creators of the
English language [1, p. 159].
It should be noted that many words have been
systematically assimilated both during Middle English
Period (hereinafter MEP) and in the later periods of the
development of the English language. English has
absorbed more foreign words than any other modern
developed language. However, while stressing the
complexity of the nature of the English vocabulary, we
are not correct in our assumption about the mixed
nature of the English language [4, p. 160]. It should also
be noted that the stable lexical base of the English
language has not been left out of the influence of other
languages, and although elements specific to the
English language prevail in it, it can be noted that it has
a mixed character.
In addition to a significant quantitative increase in the
size of the vocabulary stock, the introduction of
borrowed words into the lexical system of the English
language can lead to semantic and stylistic changes in
the words specific to this language, changes in its
synonymic groups, and changes in the distribution of
words in the English vocabulary to areas of application
[4, p.172].
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The mass nature of word acquisition has given rise to
some features of the English vocabulary (such as the
large number of etymological pairs and synonymous
pairs).
Word acquisition may have resulted in the acquisition
of actual words in their entirety, as well as some
morphemic forms and translational words. For
example, samokritica
–
self-criticism can be cited as an
example of the translation options adopted from the
Russian language.
At this point, it should be said that although the
process of assimilation of words from foreign
languages had a significant impact on the vocabulary
of English, it was not considered as the main means of
enriching the vocabulary. More productive tools
include word formation and semantic development.
It is interesting to note that many Western lexicologists
(such as McKnight, Bradley, Smith, Espersen, Weekley,
Greenough) agree that the enrichment and
development of the vocabulary of the English language
took place mainly through lexical acquisition from
other languages. Based on this, it becomes clear, why
in the Western studies of the lexicology and history of
the English language, factors that enrich the
vocabulary, such as word formation and adding new
meanings to existing words, have not been studied as
much as the factor of acquired words [3, p.10].
The overemphasis on the phenomena of acquisition
from other languages and the neglect of other
processes in the field of vocabulary leads some
lexicologists to believe that the English language has
Volume 05 Issue 10-2024
40
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(ISSN
–
2767-3758)
VOLUME
05
ISSUE
10
Pages:
37-41
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2022:
6.
041
)
(2023:
7.
491
)
(2024:
8.235
)
OCLC
–
1242423883
Publisher:
Master Journals
undergone a complete decline as a result of the
influence of other languages. Many authors
(Lounsbury, Bradley, Smith, McKnight, etc.) emphasize
the mixed nature of the English language [1, p. 11].
Overemphasis on the phenomenon of word acquisition
from other languages and neglect of other processes
in the field of vocabulary composition may lead some
lexicologists to believe that the English language has
undergone a complete decline due to the influence of
other languages.
The process of acquiring words from other languages
can lead to phenomena such as the disappearance of
old semantic nests in English. For example, in
connection with adopted words in the English
language, pairs of nouns formed from multilingual
roots and corresponding adjectives appeared: father -
paternal together with featherly, characteristic of OEP;
mouth - together with oral. A similar situation can also
be seen in examples such as the verb to see and a noun
vision.
The extremely popular acquisition of words caused the
narrowing of the morphological structure of the
language, and also affected accentuation [8, p. 136].
According to V.N. Yartseva, among the factors
affecting the direction of the development of the
language system, in particular, its vocabulary
composition, as well as factors such as the influence of
foreign languages, which affect the quantitative
increase of productive models and the decrease of less
productive ones [10, p. 153].
There are two ways to acquire words from other
languages: oral and written. The morphological and
phonetic forms of words acquired from foreign
languages changed significantly with the method of
acquiring words in written form, which took place in
the early stages of the development of language
history, and were absorbed into the vocabulary of the
acquired language faster (for example, street - strata)
[10, p. 113]. The process of assimilation of words
acquired in the written method of word acquisition
took a long time (for example, comminique -
communique). As mentioned above, the acquired
words go through the process of assimilation, that is,
they adapt to the phonetic and lexical-grammatical
norms of the language.
As Renn wrote, words borrowed from Latin and
French, two of the most important sources of
enrichment of the English vocabulary, were assimilated
in one form or another depending on the period of
assimilation [9, p. 114].
According to Arnold, words borrowed from other
languages are also divided into the following three
groups: fully assimilated words, partially assimilated
words, and unassimilated words, or barbarisms. The
amount of fully assimilated words into the English
language is several times greater than the amount of
partially assimilated words. For example, the
correspondence of fully assimilated words to the
morphological forms of the English language
paradigms can be seen in the form of the indefinite
past participle and the past participle from the
Scandinavian language eggs, laws, which take the
plural suffix -s, which takes the plural form of English
nouns, or the dental suffix from Latin, the recipient can
be seen in the example of the verbs acted and
disturbed [2, p. 252].
As an example of the influence of a foreign language
on the semantic structure of some words, we can cite
the acquisition of the meanings of words in other
languages. Different appropriations can have different
frequencies of use common appropriations are used as
often as native English words, while other types of
appropriations are used less often.
Most of the words that have been adopted into the
English language have arisen in connection with the
need to express new concepts and realities that arise
during the development of society. According to Yu.A.
Zluktenko, among the words assimilated until the 60s
Volume 05 Issue 10-2024
41
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(ISSN
–
2767-3758)
VOLUME
05
ISSUE
10
Pages:
37-41
SJIF
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MPACT
FACTOR
(2022:
6.
041
)
(2023:
7.
491
)
(2024:
8.235
)
OCLC
–
1242423883
Publisher:
Master Journals
of the 20th century, socio-political life (26.6%), cooking
(11.6%), military affairs (10.9%), fashion (10%), art (9%)
and sports (3.6%) were related. However, recently, the
group of military terms has decreased by three times
(up to 3.1 percent), and the terms related to the field of
culture have decreased by almost two times (up to 16
percent) [5, p. 151].
CONCLUSION
In this part of our research, we considered the issue of
words borrowed from foreign languages and their
impact on the formation and development of the
vocabulary of the English literary language, and as a
result, we came to the following conclusions.
Today, English continues to increase its vocabulary by
borrowing words from other languages, although to a
much lesser extent than during the Renaissance and
later periods.
Compared to other European languages, English
contains the largest number of foreign borrowings.
However, we cannot talk about the mixed nature of
English in general. In addition to a significant
quantitative increase in the size of the vocabulary, the
inclusion of borrowed words in the lexical system of
the English language can lead to semantic and stylistic
changes in the words of this language, changes in its
synonymous groups in the areas of distribution and
application of English vocabulary.
Compared to other European languages, English has
the largest number of foreign words. However, we
cannot talk about the mixed nature of English in
general. In addition to a significant quantitative
increase in the size of the vocabulary, the inclusion of
borrowed words in the lexical layer of the English
language can lead to semantic and stylistic changes in
pre-existing words in this language, changes in their
synonymous groups. In general, although words from
many languages have been borrowed during the
historical development of the English language, some
sources cite Latin and French as the main source
languages, while other sources cite Scandinavian
languages in addition to these two languages.
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