Ejercicios C2 : Los préstamos lingüísticos en inglés

Estos ejercicios te ayudarán a profundizar en el origen y la integración de los préstamos lingüísticos en inglés. Pon a prueba tu capacidad para identificar étimos, usar correctamente los términos prestados y evitar los falsos amigos más comunes.

→ Ver el curso : Los préstamos lingüísticos en inglés : curso completo

Ejercicio 1 : Identifica el origen del préstamo lingüístico

Elige la opción que describe correctamente el origen y la integración de cada palabra en inglés.

1. The word 'algebra' entered English through which linguistic route?
   • A) It was borrowed directly from Latin with no intermediate language.
   • B) It came into English via Arabic 'al-jabr', originally meaning the reunion of broken parts.
   • C) It was coined in English during the Renaissance from Greek roots.
   • D) It derives from a French mathematical term introduced in the 17th century.
2. The English word 'beef' is a loanword that illustrates the social stratification following the Norman Conquest. Which statement best explains this?
   • A) 'Beef' replaced the Old English word entirely because French was considered more scientific.
   • B) Norman French speakers, who were the ruling class, used 'boeuf' for the meat at the table, while Anglo-Saxon peasants kept 'cow' for the living animal.
   • C) 'Beef' was introduced by Viking traders and has Old Norse origins, not French.
   • D) The word 'beef' was borrowed because Old English had no word for cattle-derived meat.
3. The English word 'tsunami' borrowed from Japanese retains which characteristic of its source language?
   • A) It retains the Japanese pitch-accent pattern when spoken in formal English contexts.
   • B) It preserves the original Japanese compound structure, combining 'tsu' (harbour) and 'nami' (wave), reflecting the phenomenon's coastal nature.
   • C) It was adapted into English with a new suffix '-i' to mark its foreign origin.
   • D) It was borrowed exclusively through written scientific texts and has no spoken Japanese equivalent.
4. Which of the following best describes a 'false friend' between English and French in the context of loanwords?
   • A) A word that exists in both languages but has diverged in meaning, such as 'actually' in English (meaning 'in fact') versus French 'actuellement' (meaning 'currently').
   • B) A word that was borrowed from French into English and then returned to French with its original meaning intact.
   • C) A word that sounds identical in English and French because both languages borrowed it from Latin at the same time.
   • D) A word that English speakers deliberately mispronounce to distinguish it from its French source.

Correction

1. B) It came into English via Arabic 'al-jabr', originally meaning the reunion of broken parts.
2. B) Norman French speakers, who were the ruling class, used 'boeuf' for the meat at the table, while Anglo-Saxon peasants kept 'cow' for the living animal.
3. B) It preserves the original Japanese compound structure, combining 'tsu' (harbour) and 'nami' (wave), reflecting the phenomenon's coastal nature.
4. A) A word that exists in both languages but has diverged in meaning, such as 'actually' in English (meaning 'in fact') versus French 'actuellement' (meaning 'currently').

Ejercicio 2 : Relaciona el préstamo con su lengua de origen y su campo semántico

Une cada palabra en inglés con la descripción que explica correctamente su lengua de origen y el campo semántico al que pertenece en inglés moderno.

1. Match the word 'karaoke' with the correct description of its origin and semantic integration into English.
2. Match the word 'nadir' with the correct description of its origin and semantic field.
3. Match the word 'entrepreneur' with the correct description of its linguistic status in English.
4. Match the word 'cotton' with the correct description of its path into English.

• B) From Arabic 'naẓīr', an astronomical term referring to the point on the celestial sphere directly below the observer, now also used metaphorically to mean the lowest point of something.
• B) It is a French loanword largely retained in its original spelling and meaning, referring to a person who organizes and operates a business, taking on financial risk.
• B) It is a loanword from Arabic 'quṭun', which entered English through medieval trade networks, reflecting the Arab world's central role in the textile trade.
• B) From Japanese, combining 'kara' (empty) and 'ōkesutora' (orchestra), now used in English to describe a form of interactive entertainment.

Correction

1. Match the word 'karaoke' with the correct description of its origin and semantic integration into English. – B) From Japanese, combining 'kara' (empty) and 'ōkesutora' (orchestra), now used in English to describe a form of interactive entertainment.
2. Match the word 'nadir' with the correct description of its origin and semantic field. – B) From Arabic 'naẓīr', an astronomical term referring to the point on the celestial sphere directly below the observer, now also used metaphorically to mean the lowest point of something.
3. Match the word 'entrepreneur' with the correct description of its linguistic status in English. – B) It is a French loanword largely retained in its original spelling and meaning, referring to a person who organizes and operates a business, taking on financial risk.
4. Match the word 'cotton' with the correct description of its path into English. – B) It is a loanword from Arabic 'quṭun', which entered English through medieval trade networks, reflecting the Arab world's central role in the textile trade.

Ejercicio 3 : Completa el análisis con el término o concepto preciso

Completa cada enunciado sobre préstamos lingüísticos en inglés eligiendo la expresión o el término que corresponda al contenido del curso. Escribe la oración completa con la respuesta correcta.

1. The process by which a language translates each morpheme of a foreign word or phrase rather than borrowing the word directly is called a ___, as seen when English uses 'skyscraper' to render concepts that other languages calque from English itself.
2. When a loanword from French such as 'chef' is used in English, it illustrates semantic ___, because English already had the native word 'cook', yet retained the French borrowing with a connotation of professional culinary expertise.
3. The Arabic loanword 'alcohol', derived from 'al-kuḥl', originally referred to a fine powder used as eye makeup before its meaning underwent ___ in English to denote a class of chemical compounds and intoxicating spirits.
4. A Japanese loanword like 'emoji' demonstrates ___ integration into English, as it has been fully adopted into everyday digital communication with its original meaning preserved and no phonological adaptation to match English sound patterns.

Correction

1. The process by which a language translates each morpheme of a foreign word or phrase rather than borrowing the word directly is called a calque, as seen when English uses 'skyscraper' to render concepts that other languages calque from English itself.
2. When a loanword from French such as 'chef' is used in English, it illustrates semantic specialization, because English already had the native word 'cook', yet retained the French borrowing with a connotation of professional culinary expertise.
3. The Arabic loanword 'alcohol', derived from 'al-kuḥl', originally referred to a fine powder used as eye makeup before its meaning underwent semantic shift in English to denote a class of chemical compounds and intoxicating spirits.
4. A Japanese loanword like 'emoji' demonstrates direct integration into English, as it has been fully adopted into everyday digital communication with its original meaning preserved and no phonological adaptation to match English sound patterns.