The Adaptation of Consonants from English Loanwords into Bemba
Kangwa Njenje Kennedy
Citation :Kangwa Njenje Kennedy, The Adaptation of Consonants from English Loanwords into Bemba International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature 2017,5(9) : 21-26
This study investigates how Bemba, a Bantu language adapts loanwords (consonants in particular) from English (Indo - European) to suit its pre-existing phonology. This adaption is expected because these two languages belong to two different language families. Because of this difference, Bemba employs ways to rephonologise new words borrowed into its vocabulary to fit, and to conform to native structure demands. English has 25 consonants while Bemba on the contrary, has 15. Such distinctions in phonological inventories cause for loanword adaptation. Although Bemba employs repair strategies such as vowel epenthesis and consonant deletions among others to adapt loanwords, this study will limit itself to consonant preservation and consonant substitutions only.