The use of foreign words has been increasingly common in our daily lives. Linguistic loans are present in oral and written modalities, which is a natural characteristic of the globalization process, a phenomenon that expands the relationships between different cultures in the world contemporary.
Unfortunately, the inadvertent use of foreign words has caused some controversy, and this is what we are going to discuss now. Brasil Escola has prepared a list of things you need to know about them. What it is? How should they be used? Do they really threaten the Portuguese language? Enjoy your reading and good studies!
What you need to know about: foreign words
► What is foreignism?
The language continually recreates and transforms itself, after all, it is alive and suffers from interference made by the speakers, who, in turn, are influenced by social, economic, cultural and policies. Words and expressions appear all the time to translate new ideas or to recycle old ones, thus, foreignness is a phenomenon that is associated with the need to renew the language. Words from other languages are incorporated through a natural process of cultural assimilation or because of the geographic proximity to regions whose official languages are different.
► Does the use of foreign words put the Portuguese language at risk?
This is a mistaken idea defended by those who believe that language is an element enclosed in itself. Throughout history we have received the contribution of several words from other languages. To give you an idea, at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, the influence of the French language on Portuguese was enormous! All this because at that time it was France who dictated the rules regarding culture and behavior, but the Portuguese language was not abolished or threatened.
Foreign words are a type of linguistic behavior and, like clothes and hairstyles, for example, follow the fashion of the time. Today we know that the English language exerts a great influence — symbolic powers that overcome the barriers of linguistics — and that does not mean that we will leave our greatest asset cultural side. So, you can rest assured that linguistic borrowings cannot threaten our “last flower of Lazio”, as the poet Olavo Bilac said in the poem entitled Portuguese language.
► Is it possible to contain the advance of foreign words in Portuguese?
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try to control the use of foreign words in the Portuguese language it would be a fruitless task, after all, how to prohibit speakers from using what belongs to them? It is not possible to establish rules in oral communication. Each community uses language differently, using words and expressions that best suit their needs and idiosyncrasies. Language is a democratic tool and must remain so, therefore, there is no law capable of abolishing the use of linguistic loans. Language scholars, especially the less traditionalists, defend foreignisms, since they do not interfere with communication, a primary function of language.
► Good with foreign words:
So far you have already learned that foreignness is a linguistic phenomenon that is related to the need for language renewal. He also learned that it does not threaten the sovereignty of the Portuguese language and that it can be an important element in communication. But now it's time to ponder a few questions:
→ Do they hinder or help communication?
It depends on how they are used. Of course, if you use several language loans at the same time, you run the risk of not being understood. As we have seen before, successful communication is the purpose of language. Therefore, always opt for common sense.
→ Is there a word or equivalent expression in Portuguese that is better known?
If the answer is yes, have no doubts that the best thing to do is to opt for the word tupiniquim. In the field of computing, for example, there are some terms that do not correspond to the height in the Portuguese language, that is, words that preserve the expressiveness and meaning of a loan linguistic. It may be that over time they will be replaced or consecrated, but for now, refer to software that way, in English, it's better than using the literal translation, which would be “soft utensil”, since this expression is very far from the original word, don't you think?
Always remember that foreign words must help in our discursive activities, never get in the way. When in doubt, choose a word from the Portuguese language, especially if that word is able to express exactly what you intend to say.
By Luana Castro
Graduated in Letters