Borrowing Mechanisms of Loanwords in Pashto

Abstract

This study examines the mechanisms of lexical borrowing in the Pashto language from other languages. It explores the pathways through which foreign lexical items have entered Pashto, and whether these words have retained their original forms and meanings or undergone modification. The research further investigates the phonological, morphological, and semantic changes that occur within borrowed structures. Additionally, the study analyzes the extent to which these loanwords conform to the grammatical rules of Pashto, as well as the degree to which they have, in turn, influenced the language itself. The research also seeks to clarify the types of linguistic elements such as sounds, morphemes, words, expressions, and meanings that Pashto has adopted, along with the processes involved in their incorporation. When two languages belong to the same language family or are spoken within the same geographical region, the exchange of linguistic elements tends to be easier, more economical, and more natural. Conversely, when the donor and recipient languages belong to different language families, significant grammatical differences are more likely to arise. Pashto has borrowed sounds, affixes and words from more than few languages of the Indo-European family and Arabic, which belongs to the Semitic language family. These words were borrowed through four primary pathways: some words have entered Pashto in their original form and with their original meaning; some have preserved their original form but undergone semantic change; others have been borrowed from certain languages where their form has changed compared to the source language, but their meaning has been preserved; and finally, the research also revealed that some loanwords have entered Pashto with both reformed form and diverse meaning. In terms of methodology, this study is library-based, while its analytical content is examined through descriptive, explanatory, and comparative approaches. The findings reveal that Pashto has borrowed extensively from numerous languages around the world and has systematically adapted these elements to conform to its own linguistic structure and grammatical norms.