AN EVALUATION ABOUT THE WORDS BORROWED FROM FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN CHINESE LANGUAGE

Abstract

While founding relations with various societies, Chinese language borrowed many words from different languages in its historical development. Foreign words from the languages spoken in geographies called ‘West Regions’ in Chinese sources began to enter in Chinese language in Qin and Han dynasty, primarily in Hun country. Chinese language borrowed words from Turkish language in Tang Dynasty. With the spread of Buddhism in China, many Sanskrit words entered in Chinese language between IV-XII. Centuries. This was a quite remarkable and historical issue in the development and formation process of Chinese language. In the terms when Mongolians and Manchurians began to reign, it is possible to trace the remarks from Mongolian and Manchurian languages in Chinese. While, foreign words entering in Chinese language in Ming Dynasty were restricted to science and technology; after Opium War which was a turning point for Manchurian Empire, words from western languages related to military, politics, trade terms, economy, philosophy, law, science and literature entered in Chinese language. A high increase in the rate of the numbers of the words borrowed from foreign languages, especially words from English and Japanese, recorded preceding the May Fourth Movement happening in 1919. Therefore, Chinese language entered in its modern era. In this article, how and in what ways Chinese Language borrowed words from different Languages are studied by examining the words entering in Chinese Language in different eras in history.