LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 21:8 August 2021
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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The Metrical Structure of Indo-Aryan Loanwords in Khasi

Ruth Rymbai, Ph.D. Scholar

Abstract

The present study provides a brief and elementary description of the metrical structure of Indo Aryan loanwords in Khasi. In doing so, it specifically aims to analyze the stress patterns of the loanwords within a few select metrical parameters as espoused by Hayes (1995). Overall, the study seeks to investigate whether the loanwords conform to the stress system of the target language (Khasi) or retain the characteristic stress properties of the source language (Hindi, Assamese and Bengali).

Keywords: Khasi, Indo-Aryan, borrowing, metrical phonology, stress.

1. Introduction

The paper is a study on the loanword adaptation of one of the suprasegmental features, namely, stress. The recipient language, Khasi belongs to the Mon-Khmer branch of Austro-Asiatic language family, while the donor languages, viz. Hindi, Bengali, and Assamese are members of the Indo-Aryan language family. By analyzing the stress patterns of loanwords under the framework of metrical theory, the study aims to examine whether the donor language stress position violates the native language’s stress rules or does it preserve its original stress position.

2. Background Literature

Before commencing with the description and analysis of the data, it may be useful to give some background information on the subject under discussion.

2.1 Concept of Borrowing

Since time immemorial, languages have been in contact with each other for social, cultural, linguistic and many other reasons; this fact has been pointed out by Hock (1991, p. 380) in this way “Languages and dialects…do not exist in a vacuum. There always is at least some contact with other languages or dialects”. Hock (op.cit., p. 408) recognizes need-filling and prestige as primary motivations behind the linguistic process of borrowing. The term borrowing has many facets and types; however, the current study employs a common and less contentious understanding of the term. Haugen (1950, p. 212) defines borrowing as “the attempted reproduction in one language of patterns previously found in another". Thomason and Kaufman (1988, p.37), define borrowing as “the incorporation of foreign features into a group’s native language by speakers of that language”. Aikhenvald (2006) opines that those linguistic components transferred from a source language into a target language may include either phonological, morphosyntactic or lexical items. In his seminal work, Haugen (1950) distinguishes three types of borrowing: (i) Loanwords; (ii) Loan blends; and (iii) Loanshifts.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Ruth Rymbai, Ph.D. Scholar
Department of Linguistics, North Eastern Hill University
Shillong 793022
rymbairuth231986@gmail.com
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