Foreign words in the Arabic press: A study of the impact of western languages on Arabic.

摘要

One of the major consequences of westernization in the Middle East is the introduction of a completely new vocabulary into Modern Standard Arabic. The new terms are direct borrowings from Western languages, especially English, partly integrated into Arabic through adaptation to its phonological and morphological system; or loan translations derived from Arabic roots; or hybrids consisting partly of Arabic and partly of foreign components. The research methodology employed here consisted of scanning the al Ahram newspaper, examining three weeks' issues each year every five years, beginning with March 1946 until 1991. In view of the development of westernization in the Arab countries, the majority of English loan words are found in the field of technology, as well as business and economics, and also in politics concerning Western institutions. In other fields, for instance in cosmetics and fashion, the prestige of French is still felt. A similar influence is detectable in advertisements and classified ads about sales, food, entertainment, and similar topics of consumer interest. The research also reveals a tendency to purism among the Arab countries, where loanwords have commonly been replaced by loan-translations and newly-coined terms based on Arabic roots.