Keywords
Abstract
This article examines the phenomenon of lexical borrowing in the English language, with a particular focus on the influence of French, Latin, and other donor languages such as Greek, German, and Arabic. Through a historical and linguistic analysis, it highlights how major socio-political events, such as the Norman Conquest and the Renaissance, facilitated large-scale borrowing. The study explores the semantic fields most affected by loanwords and demonstrates how foreign vocabulary has enriched English expression. It also emphasizes English's adaptive nature as a global language that continues to integrate words from diverse linguistic sources.
References
1. Baugh, A. C., & Cable, T. (2002). A History of the English Language. Routledge.
2. Barber, C. (1993). The English Language: A Historical Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
3. Durkin, P. (2014). Borrowed Words: A History of Loanwords in English. Oxford University Press.
4. Crystal, D. (2003). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press.
5. Hock, H. H., & Joseph, B. D. (2009). Language History, Language Change, and Language Relationship. Mouton de Gruyter.