Excuse Me! Kya Aapki Bhasha Mein Loanwords Nahin hain? Oh really?

Excuse Me! Kya Aapki Bhasha Mein Loanwords Nahin hain? Oh really?

While the number of readers may be dwindling in the age of reels, we believe that as long as there’s even one person in the world who reads, we must keep writing. And with that spirit, we’re bringing you an interesting piece on our blog — one that feels quite important, especially at a time when the “my language vs. your language” debate is resurfacing in India.

The news is that in Maharashtra, two women were beaten up simply because they used the English phrase “excuse me.” It’s quite strange — just two English words led to such a commotion. Especially considering that we all use countless English words in our daily conversations, no matter if we’re Marathi or Punjabi.

The interesting part? The quarrel happened at the gate of a society, and the one who had to intervene was the police. Excuse me, but none of these words — society, gate, or police — are originally Marathi. The words society, gate, and police all have their roots far from Marathi, tracing back to European languages. Society comes from the Latin societas, meaning association; gate derives from the Old Norse gata, meaning a way or road; and police has its origins in the Greek polis, meaning city, passed through Latin and French to reach English.

It’s not just that English words are creeping into Indian languages — English itself is the biggest “loanword” champion, borrowing freely from French, Latin, Greek, German, Spanish, Italian, and many others. Words like “café” (French), “agenda” (Latin), “democracy” (Greek), “kindergarten” (German), “patio” (Spanish), and “pizza” (Italian) are just a few familiar faces that make English’s vocabulary as rich and diverse as a global buffet.

The only difference is that we never paused to think or understand. In this article, we’ll attempt to include a few words, but covering everything isn’t possible, because languages are always more vast than even the ocean.

Let’s begin by exploring how the term “loanword” came into existence and what it truly means — a journey where words travel across borders, crossing cultures, and becoming a part of a new language, almost like a borrowed treasure.

Have you ever used words like café (from French), guru (from Sanskrit), or pizza (from Italian) in everyday conversation? These are loanwords—words adopted from one language into another without translation.

What Exactly Is a Loanword?

A loanword (or borrowing) is a word taken from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language without being translated. Instead of creating a new word, the borrowing language adapts the foreign term, sometimes tweaking its pronunciation or spelling to fit its own rules.

For example:
English borrowed ballet from French.
Hindi adopted computer from English.

Loanwords become permanent parts of a language, enriching its vocabulary over time.

When Did the Term “Loanword” Originate?

While languages have borrowed words for centuries, the term “loanword” is relatively recent. The concept comes from the German word “Lehnwort” (lehnen = to lend + Wort = word). The English version, “loan-word,” first appeared in the 1860s. The earliest recorded use in English was by linguist Archibald Sayce in 1874. Interestingly, the term itself is a loan translation (or calque) from German!

Why Do Languages Borrow Words?

Loanwords often fill gaps when a language lacks a native term for a new concept, object, or trend. Common reasons include:
Cultural exchange (e.g., sushi from Japanese)
Colonial influence (e.g., pyjama from Hindi/Urdu into English)
Technology & globalization (e.g., internet used worldwide)

Sometimes, loanwords can cause quite a commotion, as was the case with a Parker Pen advertisement. The brand had its advertisement translated into Spanish, but the translation turned out to be so strange that it led to laughter. The original English ad read, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” However, the Spanish translation used the word “embarazada,” which actually means “pregnant” in Spanish. This caused an awkward and humorous misunderstanding, as the translation implied that the pen would not make you pregnant, rather than simply not embarrassing you. Wise translators and writers always avoid using words that could have a different meaning when transliterated into the local language.

Now take the word “Pizza” itself. “Pizza” is Italian, but now it has become a common name in the neighborhood. Isn’t that true? The real truth is that words that seem unfamiliar at first later blend in so much that we don’t even remember they aren’t native to our language. When we fall ill, the first thing that comes to mind is the “doctor“, right? Even “Sunday” holidays get eaten up by “office” work, what do you say? We need to go get the child’s “report card“, the “school” has been calling for two days. Why don’t you come by “train” or “local train” instead of the “bus“? Which “movie ticket” did you buy? There was a “party” at the office yesterday, and I got late on my way there.

This phenomenon is not limited to Punjabi, Marathi, Hindi, or other Indian languages; it has occurred on a large scale with English as well. In fact, Oxford University now includes Indian terms like ‘jugaad’ and ‘chai’ in its annual updates—proof that words travel freely!

If we analyze carefully, we will find that no language remains untouched by loanwords. This is largely due to social evolution. Just as the human species evolved across the world, new inventions and discoveries also emerged. Consequently, whenever something new arrives, it brings along new words—and refusing to adopt them is not an option.

Similarly, it’s important to note that when objects become obsolete or fall out of fashion, they often drag their associated vocabulary into extinction with them. This is something we see routinely – many words our grandparents commonly used have disappeared from modern speech, simply because the items and customs they described are no longer part of contemporary life.

For instance, the kachcha rasta of the village became a proper road or sadak. While the change brought happiness, over time the words sadak or road became common, and kachcha rasta faded from everyday speech.

The world of words is vast and endless—this conversation could go on forever. But here’s something to remember: many words around us don’t originally belong to our language, yet they’ve started to feel like they do. In other words, words arrive with passports, then settle down permanently by making ration cards here. Think of examples like ‘excuse me,’ ‘sorry,’ ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘love you,’ and so on.”

As you go along, take a look at these ten words, and think about how often you use them in your life.

darvāzā, dīvār, k͟hus͟hī , hames͟hā, pares͟hān, s͟hahr, hind, intezār, mausam, kitāb