Icelandic: Phonosemantic matching
2008 (English)In: Globally speaking: motives for adopting English vocabulary in other languages / [ed] Judith Rosenhouse, Rotem Kowner, Cleveland: Multilingual Matters , 2008, p. 19-43Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Cleveland: Multilingual Matters , 2008. p. 19-43
Series
Multilingual matters ; 140
Keywords [en]
phonosemantics, Icelandic, typology, word-formation
National Category
General Language Studies and Linguistics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-13317Libris ID: 10701941ISBN: 1847690513 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hkr-13317DiVA, id: diva2:773960
Note
Icelandic is one of the most puristically oriented among living languages.This chapter analyses an important but hitherto neglected method ofIcelandic word-formation. It introduces the term ‘phono-semanticmatching’ (henceforth PSM) to describe the technique whereby aforeignism is reproduced in the target language, using preexistent nativeelements that are similar to the foreignism both in meaning and in sound.
PSM occurs in two key language groups: (1) puristically orientedlanguages, in which language-planners attempt to hinder undesirableforeignisms from entering the lexis or to get rid of existing foreignisms, e.g.Finnish, Icelandic, Israeli Hebrew (‘Israeli’) and Revolutionized Turkish;and (2) languages using ‘phono-logographic’ script e.g. Chinese andJapanese (to the extent that Kanji are used). Such multisourcedneologization is an ideal means of lexical enrichment because it concealsforeign influence from the native speakers, ensuring lexicographicacceptability of the coinage, recycles obsolete autochthonous roots andwords (a delight for purists) and aids initial learning among contemporarylearners and speakers.
Linguists have not systematically studied such camouflaged hybridity. Traditional classifications of borrowing ignore it altogether, and categorizeborrowing into either substitution or importation (of the foreign element). However, as the present chapter demonstrates, PSM is a distinctphenomenon, which operates through simultaneous substitution andimportation. Its recognition carries important implications not only forlexicology and comparative historical linguistics, but also forsociolinguistics and cultural studies.
The present chapter focuses on the following Icelandic PSMs: beygla, bifra – bifrari, brokkál, dapur – dapurleiki - depurð, eyðni, fjárfesta - fjárfesting, heila, guðspjall, ímynd, júgurð, korréttur, Létt og laggott, musl, pallborð – pallborðsumræður, páfagaukur, ratsjá, setur, staða, staðall – staðla -stöðlun, toga – togari, tækni, uppi and veira.
2014-12-202014-12-202020-09-14Bibliographically approved