Open AccessPLACE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LATINISMS IN THE SLOVAK VOCABULARY
Author(s) -
Katarína Karabová
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
human
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2232-996X
pISSN - 2232-9935
DOI - 10.21554/hrr.091403
Subject(s) - slovak , linguistics , lexis , vocabulary , foreign language , history , sociology , philosophy , czech
Vocabulary of any language undergoes a natural evolution. In many cases this centuries-long process is related to several factors, including the penetration of new words into the language lexis. Similarly, the historical development of the Slovak language and its enhancement can be observed by examining the adoption of words from other languages. At a time when Latin was the only official language as well as the language of scholars and religious institutions in the Hungarian Kingdom, the penetration of Latinisms into the lexis of the old Slovak was significant. This trend was still evident in the 18th and 19th centuries marked by the beginning revivalist efforts. Domestication of adopted words - that initially stood at the edge of the language standard - was significantly influenced by innovative trends and technologies. The study does not primarily examine penetration of foreign words from modern languages, but it aims to analyse the process of naturalisation of Latinisms in Slovak and their use at different language levels.