externalloanword

An externalloanword is a word borrowed from a foreign language and incorporated into another language, often with some adjustment to pronunciation, spelling, and morphology. The source language is distinct from the recipient language’s own historical lexicon and may belong to a different language family or cultural sphere.

Borrowings typically occur through direct contact—trade, science, media, cuisine, or migration. They may appear with minimal modification, as in sushi (Japanese) imported with essentially unchanged form in many languages, or undergo phonological and orthographic adaptation, as seen in ballet (French) or taco (Spanish). Some externalloanwords keep a recognizable link to the source pronunciation or morphology, while others become fully nativized.

External loanwords are contrasted with calques, which are translations of phrases or expressions, and with internally coined words derived from a language’s own stock. In practice, the distinction can blur, as languages frequently combine borrowed terms with native morphology and spelling conventions. The rate and character of borrowing depend on historical contact, the prestige of the source language, and the needs of the recipient language.

Examples across languages illustrate the phenomenon: English includes sushi, kindergarten, ballet, and taco; French and German contribute many borrowings into other languages as well. The study of externalloanwords sheds light on patterns of linguistic contact and cultural exchange.