ch pronounced as [∫], e.g.
chauffeur, chic, machine ;
64
c).
g before
e and
i pronounced as [
ک
[, e.g.
regime, bourgeois, massage ; d). ou pronounced as [u], e.g.
rouge ;
e).
eau – [ou], e.g.
chateau ;
f). Final constant
p, s, t not pronounced as in
coup, debris, ragout, ballet .
Borrowed words from many other languages attest to various types of cultural
contact and serve often to fill the lexical gaps such contact inevitably brings. Over
120 languages are on record as sources of the English vocabulary. From
Japanese
come
karate, judo, hara-kiri, kimono, tycoon .
From
Arabic –
algebra, algorithm, fakir, giraffe, sultan, harem, mattress .
From
Turkish –
yogurt, kiosk, tulip .
From
Eskimo –
kayak, igloo, anorak .
From
Yiddish –
goy, knish, latke, schmuck .
From
Hindi –
thug, punch, shampoo .
§ 2.6 Italian borrowings Cultural and trade relations between Italy and England brought many Italian
words into English. The earliest Italian borrowing came into English in the 14
th
century, it was the word
bank (from the Italian
banko – bench ). Italian money-lenders
and money-changers sat in the streets on benches. When they suffered losses they
turned over their benches, it was called
banco rotta from which the English word
bankrupt originated. In the 17
th
century some geological terms were borrowed:
volcano, granite, bronze, lava . At the same time some political terms were borrowed:
manifesto, bulletin .
From Italian come words connected with music and plastic arts, such as
piano, alto, bravo, ballerina ,
solo, duet, opera, violin as well as
motto, casino, mafia, artichoke , etc.
Among the 20
th
-century Italian borrowings we can mention:
gazette, incognito, autostrada, fiasco, fascist, dilettante, grotesque, graffiti, etc.
