Algupärasel

Algupärasel is a term used in the field of linguistics and language acquisition to describe a situation where a child or learner of a language produces a word or phrase that is not found in the language they are learning, but is instead a blend or combination of words from their native language and the target language. This phenomenon is often observed in bilingual children or adults who are learning a new language.

The term "algupärasel" is derived from the Estonian words "algupärane," meaning "original" or "native," and "sel," meaning "word" or "expression." The concept was first introduced by linguist Kalevi Kull in the 1970s to describe the unique way in which Estonian speakers, who are learning a second language, often create new words or phrases by combining elements from both languages.

For example, an Estonian speaker learning English might create the word "kõnepärasel" to describe something that is both "nice" and "clear" in English, combining the Estonian word "kõnepärane" (meaning "eloquent" or "fluent") with the English word "clear." This blending of languages is a natural process in language acquisition and can provide insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying bilingualism and second language learning.