WHY WORDS ARE BORROWED?
Generally all the words of the world languages cannot be found in one language.
For example ghee is not found in UK English. so it is borrowed from Hindi.
The 9,99,999th word in English is “Jaya Ho” taken from India.
Secondly main European countries ruled England. All introduced their own way of education. Naturally the rulers’ languages dominated English.
Along with sushi, crêpes, and pizza—and their names—English has borrowed numerous words from foreign cultures. Here is a selection of "imported" words for you to add to your vocabulary.
French Borrowings
We've borrowed so many words from French that someone once half-seriously claimed that English is little more than French badly pronounced. Some of these words have kept their original spelling, while others have become so Anglicized you may not recognize them as originally French.
1. envoy (en"voi, än"-) a diplomatic agent; an accredited messenger or representative.
2. résumé (rez"» ma', rez'» ma") a summing up; a brief account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as of an applicant for a job.
3. coup d'état (k»'da tä") a sudden and decisive action in politics, especially one effecting a change of government, illegally or by force.
4. cause célèbre (kôz"s* leb", -leb"r*) any controversy that attracts great public attention.
5. avant-garde (* vänt'gärd", * vant'-, av'äN-, ä"väN-) the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are unorthodox and experimental.
6. laissez-faire (les'a fâr") the theory that government should intervene as little as possible in economic affairs.
7. rendezvous (rän"d* v»', -da-) an agreement between two or more people to meet at a certain time and place.
8. cul-de-sac (kul"d* sak") a street, lane, etc., closed at one end; blind alley.
9. esprit de corps (e spre" d* kôr") a sense of union and of common interests and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons associated together.
10. idée fixe (e'da feks") a fixed idea; obsession.
11. joie de vivre (zhwä'd* vev", ve"vr*) a delight in being alive.
12. milieu (mil y»", mel-) an environment; medium.
13. potpourri (po'p» re") a mixture of dried petals of roses or other flowers with spices, kept in a jar for their fragrance.
14. rapport (ra pôr", r*-) a harmonious or sympathetic relationship or connection.
15. bon vivant (bon"ve vänt", bôN"ve väN") a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink.
Additional French Borrowings
Here are fifteen more words borrowed from French. Their mastery can put vigor into your vocabulary, especially in writing.
1. tour de force (t»r'd* fôrs") an exceptional achievement using the full skill, ingenuity, and resources of a person, country, or group.
2. connoisseur (kon'* sûr", -s»r") a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in art or in matters of taste.
3. raconteur (rak'on tûr", -t»r") a person who is skilled in relating anecdotes.
4. poseur (po zûr") a person who attempts to impress others by assuming or affecting a manner, degree of elegance, etc.
5. saboteur (sab'* tûr") a person who deliberately destroys property, obstructs services, or undermines a cause.
6. décolletage (da'kol täzh") the neckline of a dress cut low in the front or back and often across the shoulders.
7. mêlée (ma"la, ma la") a confused, general hand-to-hand fight.
8. tout à fait (t»' tä fa") entirely.
9. chauffeur (sho"f*r, sho fûr") a person employed to drive another person's automobile.
10. fiancé (fe'än sa", fe än"sa) a man engaged to be married.
11. protégé (pro"t* zha', pro't* zha") a person under the patronage or care of someone influential who can further his or her career.
12. gourmet (g»r ma", g»r"ma) a connoisseur in the delicacies of the table.
13. tout de suite (t»t swet") at once; immediately.
14. chic (shek) attractive and fashionable in style; stylish.
Numerous other languages have left their mark on English as well—including Italian, Spanish, and Latin. We will begin with a group of words borrowed from Italian.
Italian Borrowings
1. alfresco (al fres"ko) out-of-doors; in the open air.
2. piazza (pe az"*, -ä"z*) a town square.
3. dilettante (dil"i tänt') a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement; dabbler.
4. fiasco (fe as"ko) a complete and ignominious failure.
5. imbroglio (im brol"yo) a confused state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation; bitter misunderstanding.
6. impresario (im'pri sär"e o', -sâr"-) a person who organizes or manages public entertainments; a manager, director, or the like.
7. incognito (in'kog ne"to, in kog"ni to') having one's identity concealed, as under an assumed name, especially to avoid notice.
8. manifesto (man'* fes"to) a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, a sovereign, or an organization.
Additional Italian Borrowings
Italian is often said to be the most musical of the Romance languages. Make sure to practice the pronunciations of the following musical and artistic terms borrowed from Italian. The two self-tests at the end of the lesson will help you reinforce the words and their meanings.
1. sotto voce (sot"o vo"che) in a low, soft voice, so as not to be overheard.
2. sonata (s* nä"t*) a composition for one or two instruments, typically with three or four contrasting movements.
3. fugue (fy»g) a polyphonic composition based on one, two, or more themes that are enunciated by several voices or parts in turn, and are subject to contrapuntal treatment; in psychiatry, a period in which a patient suffers from loss of memory, often begins a new life, and upon recovery, remembers nothing from the amnesiac period. Borrowed through French from Italian "fuga," literally a fleeing, flight.
4. intermezzo (in't*r met"so, -med"zo) a short dramatic, musical, or other entertainment of light character introduced between the acts of a drama or opera.
5. cantata (k*n tä"t*) a choral composition, either sacred and resembling a short oratorio, or secular, as a drama set to music but not to be acted.
6. maestro (mi"stro) an eminent composer, teacher, or conductor of music.
7. chiaroscuro (ke är'* sky»r"o) the distribution of light and shade in a picture.
8. villanella (vil'* nel"*) a rustic Italian part-song without accompaniment. The French word "villanelle," meaning a short poem of fixed form, was adapted from Italian.
Spanish Borrowings
Our neighbors to the south have also enriched our language with a number of words that reflect the merging of Spanish culture with our own. You may find that you are already familiar with some of the following words but were unaware of their Hispanic ancestry.
1. desperado (des'p* rä"do, -ra"-) a bold, reckless criminal or outlaw.
2. fiesta (fe es"t*) in Spain and Latin America, a festival celebrating a religious holiday; any festive celebration.
3. siesta (se es"t*) a midday or afternoon rest or nap, especially as taken in Spain and Latin America.
4. bonanza (b* nan"z*, bo-) a rich mass of ore, as found in mining; a spectacular windfall.
5. pronto (pron"to) promptly; quickly.
6. patio (pat"e o', pä"te o') a paved outdoor area adjoining a house; courtyard.
7. bolero (b* lâr"o, bo-) a lively Spanish dance in triple meter; a waist-length jacket worn open in front.
Additional Spanish Borrowings
Here are some additional Spanish words to spice up your speech and writing. Study the definitions and complete the two self-tests at the end of the lesson to help you reinforce what you have learned.
1. tango (tang"go) a ballroom dance of Spanish-American origin.
2. arroyo (* roi"o) a small steep-sided watercourse or gulch with a nearly flat floor, usually dry except in heavy rains.
3. sierra (se er"*) a chain of hills or mountains, the peaks of which suggest the teeth of a saw.
4. mesa (ma"s*) a land formation having a flat top and steep rock walls, common in arid and semi-arid parts of the United States and Mexico.
5. chili con carne (chil"e kon kär"ne) a spicy Mexican-American dish of meat, beans, onion, chopped pepper, tomatoes, and seasonings.
6. guerrilla (g* ril"*) a member of a small, independent band of soldiers that harass the enemy by surprise raids, sabotage, etc.
7. mustang (mus"tang) a small, hardy horse of the American plains.
8. caudillo (kou ðe"lyô, -ðe"yô) a head of state, especially a military dictator.
Latin Borrowings
We've already encountered a great number of words with Latin roots in previous lessons, but most of them have been transformed over the centuries. Here are eight Latin words and phrases that survived intact when they were incorporated into English. All are words that can add power to your speech and writing. Study the definitions and complete the two self-tests.
1. decorum (di kôr"*m) dignified behavior, manners, or appearance.
2. gratis (grat"is, gra"tis) without charge or payment; free.
3. in toto (in to"to) in all; in the whole.
4. odium (o"de *m) intense hatred or dislike, especially toward something or someone regarded as contemptible, despicable, or repugnant.
5. per se (pûr sa", se") by, of, for, or in itself.
6. pro tempore (pro" tem"p* re', -ra') temporarily; for the time being.
7. status quo (sta"t*s kwo", stat"*s) the existing state or condition; things as they are.
No comments:
Post a Comment