science

Internationalism (linguistics)

Internationalism (linguistics) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Internationalism (linguistics) rather than just read about it. In short: In linguistics, an internationalism or international word is a loanword that occurs in several languages (that is, translingually) with the same or at least similar meaning and etymology. These words exist in "several different languages as a result of simultaneous or successive borrowings from the ultimate source".

Key takeaways

Internationalism (linguistics) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Internationalism (linguistics) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Internationalism (linguistics) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In linguistics, an internationalism or international word is a loanword that occurs in several languages (that is, translingually) with the same or at least similar meaning and etymology. These words exist in "several different languages as a result of simultaneous or successive borrowings from the ultimate source". Pronunciation and orthography are similar so that the word is understandable between the different languages. It is debated how many languages are required for a word to be considered an internationalism. Furthermore, the languages required can also depend on the specific target language at stake. For example, according to Ghil'ad Zuckermann, the most important languages that should include the same lexical item in order for it to qualify as an internationalism in Hebrew are Yiddish, Polish, Russian, French, German and English. The term is uncommon in English, although English has contributed a considerable number of words to world languages, e.g., the sport terms football, baseball, cricket, and golf. International scientific vocabulary is a class of terms that contains many internationalisms. For some of them it is known which modern language used them first, whereas for others it is not traceable, but the chronologic sequence is usually of limited practical importance anyway, as almost immediately after their origination they appeared in multiple languages.

Origins European internationalisms originate primarily from Latin or Greek, but from other languages as well. However, due to English being the main lingua franca of the Western world, an increasing number of internationalisms originate from English. Many non-European words have also become international.

Diffusion Internationalisms often spread together with the innovations they designate. Accordingly, there are semantic fields dominated by specific languages, e.g. the computing vocabulary which is mainly English with internationalisms such as computer, disk, and spam. New inventions, political institutions, foodstuffs, leisure activities, science, and technological advances have all generated new lexemes and continue to do so: bionics, cybernetics, gene, coffee, chocolate, etc.. Some internationalisms are spread by speakers of one language living in geographical regions where other languages are spoken. For example, some internationalisms coming from the English in India are bungalow, jute, khaki, mango, pyjamas, and sari.

Examples

See also Classical compound – Compound words composed from Latin or ancient GreekPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Greek and Latin roots in English Hybrid word – Word that etymologically derives from at least two languages International scientific vocabulary – Scientific and specialized words in current use in several modern languages Phono-semantic matching – Type of multi-source neologism Trading zones (metaphor) – Metaphor applied to collaborations in science

Further reading Peter Braun, Burkhard Schaeder, Johannes Volmert (eds.): Internationalismen II. Studien zur interlingualen Lexikologie und Lexikographie (Reihe Germanistische Linguistik. Band 246), Tübingen: Niemeyer 2003, ISBN 3-484-31246-7.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Internationalism (linguistics)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Internationalism (linguistics) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Internationalism (linguistics) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Internationalism (linguistics) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Internationalism (linguistics)

In research: Internationalism (linguistics) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Internationalism (linguistics) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Internationalism (linguistics) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Etymology, Historical linguistics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Internationalism (linguistics) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Internationalism (linguistics) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Internationalism (linguistics) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Internationalism (linguistics) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Internationalism (linguistics) in simple terms?

Why does Internationalism (linguistics) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Internationalism (linguistics)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Internationalism (linguistics).