Home Linguistics & Semiotics Chapter 2. Proposing a pragmatic distinction for lexical Anglicisms
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 2. Proposing a pragmatic distinction for lexical Anglicisms

  • Esme Winter-Froemel and Alexander Onysko
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
The Anglicization of European Lexis
This chapter is in the book The Anglicization of European Lexis

Abstract

While certain Anglicisms (e.g. Event and Kids in German) typically appear as marked lexical choices, such effects are absent in other Anglicisms (e.g. Film and PC in German). In order to investigate these different pragmatic interpretations, we consider the criterion of whether an Anglicism exists alongside a semantically-close equivalent in the recipient language or not. Based on this criterion, we introduce a distinction into two types of loans or, more generally, into two types of lexical innovation: catachrestic and non-catachrestic innovation. These are linked to two different types of implicatures as proposed in Levinson’s (2000) theory of presumptive meanings. The distinction between the two types of loans will be exemplified by data drawn from a corpus analysis of Anglicisms in German. The discussion will particularly focus on frequency effects and on the importance of specific discourse traditions, which both underline the dynamic pragmatic nature of Anglicisms.

Abstract

While certain Anglicisms (e.g. Event and Kids in German) typically appear as marked lexical choices, such effects are absent in other Anglicisms (e.g. Film and PC in German). In order to investigate these different pragmatic interpretations, we consider the criterion of whether an Anglicism exists alongside a semantically-close equivalent in the recipient language or not. Based on this criterion, we introduce a distinction into two types of loans or, more generally, into two types of lexical innovation: catachrestic and non-catachrestic innovation. These are linked to two different types of implicatures as proposed in Levinson’s (2000) theory of presumptive meanings. The distinction between the two types of loans will be exemplified by data drawn from a corpus analysis of Anglicisms in German. The discussion will particularly focus on frequency effects and on the importance of specific discourse traditions, which both underline the dynamic pragmatic nature of Anglicisms.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors vii
  4. Acknowledgements ix
  5. The lexical influence of English on European languages 1
  6. Section I. Exploring Anglicisms
  7. Chapter 1. Fair play to them 27
  8. Chapter 2. Proposing a pragmatic distinction for lexical Anglicisms 43
  9. Chapter 3. Investigating gender variation of English loanwords in German 65
  10. Chapter 4. The collection of Anglicisms 91
  11. Chapter 5. Semi-automatic approaches to Anglicism detection in Norwegian corpus data 111
  12. Chapter 6. Lexicographic description of recent Anglicisms in Serbian 131
  13. Chapter 7. Anglicisms in Armenian 149
  14. Section II. English-induced phraseology
  15. Chapter 8. Phraseology in flux 169
  16. Chapter 9. Multi-word loan translations and semantic borrowings from English in French journalistic discourse 199
  17. Chapter 10. Newly-coined Anglicisms in contemporary Spanish 217
  18. Chapter 11. Der Elefant im Raum… 239
  19. Chapter 12. English influence on Polish proverbial language 261
  20. Section III. Anglicisms in specialized discourse
  21. Chapter 13. English direct loans in European football lexis 281
  22. Chapter 14. Incorporation degrees of selected economics-related Anglicisms in Italian 305
  23. Chapter 15. Anglicisms in the discourse of Alitalia’s bailout in the Italian press 325
  24. Author index 343
  25. Language index 347
  26. Subject index 349
https://doi.org/10.1075/z.174.06win

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors vii
  4. Acknowledgements ix
  5. The lexical influence of English on European languages 1
  6. Section I. Exploring Anglicisms
  7. Chapter 1. Fair play to them 27
  8. Chapter 2. Proposing a pragmatic distinction for lexical Anglicisms 43
  9. Chapter 3. Investigating gender variation of English loanwords in German 65
  10. Chapter 4. The collection of Anglicisms 91
  11. Chapter 5. Semi-automatic approaches to Anglicism detection in Norwegian corpus data 111
  12. Chapter 6. Lexicographic description of recent Anglicisms in Serbian 131
  13. Chapter 7. Anglicisms in Armenian 149
  14. Section II. English-induced phraseology
  15. Chapter 8. Phraseology in flux 169
  16. Chapter 9. Multi-word loan translations and semantic borrowings from English in French journalistic discourse 199
  17. Chapter 10. Newly-coined Anglicisms in contemporary Spanish 217
  18. Chapter 11. Der Elefant im Raum… 239
  19. Chapter 12. English influence on Polish proverbial language 261
  20. Section III. Anglicisms in specialized discourse
  21. Chapter 13. English direct loans in European football lexis 281
  22. Chapter 14. Incorporation degrees of selected economics-related Anglicisms in Italian 305
  23. Chapter 15. Anglicisms in the discourse of Alitalia’s bailout in the Italian press 325
  24. Author index 343
  25. Language index 347
  26. Subject index 349
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 19.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/z.174.06win/html
Scroll to top button