loan words

USAGE SUMMARY

"loan words" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to words that have been borrowed from another language and adapted into English. For example, "Many English words are originally loan words from Latin and German."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

46 human-written examples

All languages take in foreign loan words.

The New York Times - Arts

It's full of loan words and near-synonyms.

Independent

The language that evolved combines Arawak grammar with African, English, and Spanish loan words.

The New Yorker

1500 bc (the evidence being the Baltic loan words in proto-Finnic), when the "proto-Finns" still maintained contact with the Mordvins and the Sami.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Spend several years searching Classical Greek for loan words ("linguistic ghosts," Fox calls them) that for arcane reasons obvious only to linguists clearly predate Classical Greek.

The New York Times - Books

That cast doubt on the claim of Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky, the Liberal Democratic Party leader, that "all major countries have purged foreign loan words from their national languages".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

14 human-written examples

Aferim is a Turkish loan word Romanians use for "bravo", but with a slight sarcastic edge.

The Guardian - Film

A witness to the attack, who described it in an emotional account on her Facebook page, referred to it as "a lynch," using the English loan word that is common in Hebrew.

The New York Times

Slon.ru, an online business edition, tweeted the news in overtly archaic Russian, avoiding possibly criminal words such as shtraf (vira is the Old Slavic term, in case you wondered – although it is also a Scandinavian loan word dating back to the 11th century), but wasn't able to follow through when trying to ask its readers to "retweet".

The Guardian - Opinion

The first and second words are proper names while the last word is a loan word from the word "poll result".

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

A possible reason for this might be that in their L1, the document showing someone's medical records is called "Karte," which is a loan word from German, and some Japanese people wrongly think "Karte" is English.

Language Testing in Asia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the evolution of a language, use "loan words" to illustrate how languages adapt and incorporate elements from others.

Common error

Avoid assuming a word is native to a language without verifying its etymology; many common words are actually "loan words" from other languages.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "loan words" functions as a noun phrase, typically used as the subject or object of a sentence. It identifies words that have been adopted from one language into another. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

26%

Wiki

22%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

9%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "loan words" is a grammatically sound and commonly used noun phrase to describe words adopted from other languages. Ludwig confirms its validity for use. Its presence is prevalent across various contexts, particularly in news, scientific, and encyclopedic sources. The term plays a significant role in discussing language evolution and cultural exchange. Understanding and using "loan words" effectively enhances linguistic awareness and clarity. The related phrases and writing guidance provided offer additional tools for precise and nuanced communication about this linguistic phenomenon.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

borrowed vocabulary

Focuses on the vocabulary aspect of borrowing rather than specifically the individual words.

foreign borrowings

Highlights the foreign origin of the borrowed elements.

adopted terms

Emphasizes the process of incorporating terms from other languages.

linguistic imports

Uses a metaphorical term to describe words that have been imported into a language.

assimilated words

Focuses on the adaptation of words into the new language.

lexical borrowings

Emphasizes the lexical aspect (vocabulary) of borrowed words.

words of foreign origin

A more descriptive and less direct way of referring to loan words.

borrowed lexicon

Similar to 'borrowed vocabulary' but refers to the entire set of borrowed words.

immigrant words

Another metaphorical term, likening words to immigrants in a language.

words from other languages

A simpler and more direct alternative, suitable for general contexts.

FAQs

How are "loan words" used in language evolution?

"Loan words" reflect cultural and historical interactions, indicating how languages evolve by adopting terms from other cultures. They provide insights into past relationships and influences.

What's the difference between "loan words" and neologisms?

"Loan words" are adopted from other languages, while neologisms are newly coined words within a language to describe new concepts or inventions. While "neologisms" create entirely new terms, loanwords adapt existing ones.

Which languages have contributed the most "loan words" to English?

Historically, Latin and French have contributed significantly, but modern English also borrows heavily from languages like Greek, German, and various others due to globalization.

How can I identify "loan words" in a language?

Look for words that don't fit the typical phonological or morphological patterns of the language. Etymological dictionaries can also help trace the origins of words.