A pseudo-anglicism is a word in another language that is formed from English elements and may appear to be English, but that does not exist as an English word with the same meaning. For example, English speakers traveling in France may be struck by the "number of anglicisms—or rather words that look English—which are used in a different sense than they have in English, or which do not exist in English (such as ''rallye-paper'', ''shake-hand'', ''baby-foot'', or ''baby-parc'')". This is different from a

false friend In linguistics, a false friend is either of two words in different languages that look or sound similar, but differ significantly in meaning. Examples include English ''embarrassed'' and Spanish ''embarazada'' 'pregnant'; English ''parents' ...

, which is a word with a

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical e ...

that has a different main meaning. Sometimes pseudo-anglicisms become false friends.

Definition and terminology

Pseudo-anglicisms are also called secondary anglicisms, false anglicisms, or pseudo-English. Pseudo-anglicisms are a kind of lexical borrowing where the ''source'' or ''donor language'' is English, but where the borrowing is reworked in the ''receptor '' or ''recipient language''. The precise definition varies. Duckworth defines pseudo-anglicisms in German as "neologisms derived from English language material." Furiassi includes words that may exist in English with a "conspicuously different meaning".

Typology and mechanism

Pseudo-anglicisms can be created in various ways, such as by archaism, i.e., words which once had that meaning in English but are since abandoned; semantic slide, where an English word is used incorrectly to mean something else; conversion of existing words from one part of speech to another; or recombinations by reshuffling English units. Onysko speaks of two types: pseudo-anglicisms and hybrid anglicisms. The common factor is that each type represents a

neologism A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...

in the receptor language resulting from a combination of borrowed

lexical item In lexicography, a lexical item is a single word, a part of a word, or a chain of words ( catena) that forms the basic elements of a language's lexicon (≈ vocabulary). Examples are ''cat'', ''traffic light'', ''take care of'', ''by the way ...

s from English. Using German as the receptor language, an example of the first type is ''Wellfit-Bar'', a combination of two English lexical units to form a new term in German, which does not exist in English, and which carries the meaning, "a bar that caters to the needs of health-starved people." An example of the second type, is a hybrid based on a German compound word, '' Weitsprung'' (long jump), plus the English 'coach', to create the new German word ''Weitsprung-Coach.'' According to Filipović, pseudoanglicisms can be formed through composition, derivation, or ellipsis. Composition in Serbo-Croatian involves creating a new compound from an English word to which is added the word ''man'', as in the example, "GOAL" + man, giving ''golman''. In derivation, a suffix ''-er'' or ''-ist'' is added to an anglicism, to create a new word in Serbo-Croatian, such as ''teniser'', or ''waterpolist''. An ellipsis drops something, and starts from a compound and drops a component, or from a derivative and drops ''-ing'', as in ''boks'' from "boxing", or "hepiend" from "happy ending". Another process of word formation that can result in a pseudo-anglicism is a blend word, consisting of portions of two words, like brunch or smog. Rey-Debove & Gagnon attest ''tansad'' in French in 1919, from English ''tan em' + ''sad le'.

Scope

Pseudo-anglicisms can be found in many languages that have contact with English around the world, and are attested in nearly all European languages. The equivalent of pseudo-Anglicisms derived from languages other than English also exist. For example, the English-language phrase "

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially a ...

," while often believed to be French and pronounced in a French fashion, is not actually used in French. For other examples, see dog Latin, list of pseudo-French words adapted to English, and list of pseudo-German words adapted to English.

Examples

Many languages

Some pseudo-anglicisms are found in many languages and have been characterized as "world-wide pseudo-English", often borrowed via other languages such as French or Italian: * '' autostop'' – hitchhiking in French, Italian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, Greek οτοστόπ,Georgios Babiniotis, Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, 1998, ''s.v.'' Russian автостоп, Spanish, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Dutch, etc. * ''

basket A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehai ...

'' –

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

in Danish, French, Dutch, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Greek μπάσκετ, Turkish, etc.; also

sneakers Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...

in French * ''

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more natu ...

'' – campsite or campground in French, Greek κάμπινγκ, Bulgarian къмпинг, Russian ке́мпинг, Polish ''kemping'', etc. * ''

smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have bee ...

'' – dinner jacket, tuxedo, or smoking jacket in Danish, French, German, Italian,''Oxford Paravia Italian Dictionary'', 2001, , ''s.v.'' Greek σμόκιν, Russian, etc.Gorlach, 2001, ''s.v.''

Japanese

* – a white collar employee (salaried worker) * ''Pokémon'' (ポケモン,"pocket monster")

Korean

* ''one shot'' – "bottoms up" (원샷 ʌn.ɕjat̚ * ''hand phone'' – "cellphone" (핸드폰 ɛn.dɯ.pon * ''skinship'' - platonic hand-holding, hugging, etc. (스킨십; seu·kin·sib)

Romance

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

French includes many pseudo-anglicisms, including novel compounds (''baby-foot''), specifically compounds in ''-man'' (''tennisman''), truncations (''foot''), places in ''-ing'' (''dancing'' meaning dancing-place, not the act of dancing), and a large variety of meaning shifts. * (m, pronounced ) – table football * – playpen * – blow-dry and stylingMatthew Anderson, "The foreign words that seem like English – but aren't", ''BBC Culture'
13 October 2016
/ref>''Collins le Robert French Dictionary'', 11th ed., 2020, ''s.v.'' (usage note) * – high-rise building, tower block''Collins le Robert French Dictionary'', 11th ed., 2020, ''s.v.'' * –

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and cities i ...

* – a brief romance, flirtation, a

boyfriend A boyfriend is a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous female ...

or girlfriend * – jogging * (m, Belgium) – late-opening grocery shop * –

dry cleaning Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a solvent other than water. Dry cleaning still involves liquid, but clothes are instead soaked in a water-free liquid solvent. Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), known in ...

shop, * – a "fox-and-hounds" like game, except with paper scraps instead of foxes * (m; pl: ; f:) – record holder in sports * (verb) to make over; also: (n; masc.) – a makeover * (n; masc.) – rugby player * * –

shampoo Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into th ...

* , (feminine) – radio or television announcerClyde Thogmartin, "Some 'English' Words in French", ''The French Review'' 57:4:447-455 (March 1984) * – luxury, prestige * – surfing * – a tennis player

Italian

* ''autogrill'' () –

rest area A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway serv ...

(used for any brand, not only for Autogrill chain) * ''beauty farm'' () –

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneothe ...

* The French borrowing '' bloc-notes'' () is sometimes written in the pseudo-English form '' block-notes'' () –

notebook A notebook (also known as a notepad, writing pad, drawing pad, or legal pad) is a book or stack of paper pages that are often ruled and used for purposes such as note-taking, journaling or other writing, drawing, or scrapbooking. History ...

* ''jolly'' – the joker in a pack of cards * ''smart working'' –

remote work Remote work, also called work from home (WFH), work from anywhere, telework, remote job, mobile work, and distance work is an employment arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work, such as an office building, w ...

, where "smart" is used referring to other devices with internet connection, such as

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

s and

smartwatch A smartwatch is a wearable computer in the form of a watch; modern smartwatches provide a local touchscreen interface for daily use, while an associated smartphone app provides management and telemetry, such as long-term biomonitoring. While ...

es.

Brazilian Portuguese Brazilian Portuguese (' ), also Portuguese of Brazil (', ) or South American Portuguese (') is the set of varieties of the Portuguese language native to Brazil and the most influential form of Portuguese worldwide. It is spoken by almost all of ...

* – usb flash drive «pendrive»

Germanic

Danish

* ''babylift'' –

baby transport Various methods of transporting children have been used in different cultures and times. These methods include baby carriages (prams in British English), infant car seats, portable bassinets (carrycots), strollers (pushchairs), slings, backpack ...

/ carrycot * ''butterfly'' –

bow tie The bow tie is a type of necktie. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that ...

* ''cottoncoat'' –

trench coat A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches. Originally made from gabardine ...

* ''cowboytoast'' – minced meat

sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

* ''grillparty'' – a

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke ...

party * ''monkeyclass'' –

economy class Economy class, also called third class, coach class, steerage, or to distinguish it from the slightly more expensive premium economy class, standard economy class or budget economy class, is the lowest travel class of seating in air travel, ...

* ''speedmarker'' – a

felt-tip pen A marker pen, fine liner, marking pen, felt-tip pen, felt pen, flow marker, sign pen (in South Korea), vivid (in New Zealand), texta (in Australia), sketch pen (in South Asia) or koki (in South Africa), is a pen which has its own ink sourc ...

* ''stationcar'' – conflation of station wagon (US) and

estate car A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

(UK) * ''timemanager'' – a calendar or notebook in which one writes down appointments (from the registered trademark

Time Manager Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to co ...

)

Dutch

* ''beamer'' – a

video projector A video projector is an image projector that receives a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system. Video projectors use a very bright ultra-high-performance lamp (a special mercury arc lamp), ...

(via German pseudo-anglicism ''Beamer'') * ''oldtimer'' - an

antique car An antique car is an automobile that is an antique. Narrower definitions vary based on how old a car must be to qualify. The Antique Automobile Club of America defines an antique car as over 25 years of age. However, the legal definitions for th ...

* ''sport'' - to

exercise Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic s ...

or engage in a

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

* ''touringcar'' – a

coach (bus) A coach (or coach bus/motorcoach) is a type of bus built for longer-distance service, in contrast to transit buses that are typically used within a single metropolitan region. Often used for touring, intercity, and international bus servi ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law Ger ...

German pseudo anglicisms often have multiple valid and common ways of writing them, generally either hyphenated ''(Home-Office)'' or in one word ''(Homeoffice)''. Infrequently,

CamelCase Camel case (sometimes stylized as camelCase or CamelCase, also known as camel caps or more formally as medial capitals) is the practice of writing phrases without spaces or punctuation. The format indicates the separation of words with a single c ...

may also be used. * ''Beamer'' – a

*''Bodybag –'' a messenger bag * ''Dressman'' – a male model (Onysko calls this the 'canonical example' of a pseudo-anglicism.) * ''Flipper'' – a pinball machine * ''Football'' –

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...

. The word for

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is t ...

is ''Fußball''. * ''Funsport'' – a sport played for amusement, such as skateboarding or

frisbee A frisbee (pronounced ), also called a flying disc or simply a disc, is a gliding toy or sporting item that is generally made of injection-molded plastic and roughly in diameter with a pronounced lip. It is used recreationally and competitiv ...

* ''Handy'' – a mobile phone * ''Homeoffice'' – working from home, used as a noun * ''Jobticket'' – a free pass for public transport provided by an employer for employees * ''Oldtimer'' – an

* ''Public Viewing'' – a public viewing event (party) of a football match or similar * ''Shooting'' – a photoshoot * ''trampen'' (verb) – hitchhiking * ''mobbing'' - bullying

Norwegian

* ''sixpence'' – Flat cap

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

* ''after work'' – a meeting for drinks after the workday is finished * ''backslick'' – A wet, combed-back hair style * ''pocket'' – A paper-back book

Slavic

Polish

* ''dres'' –

tracksuit A tracksuit is an article of clothing consisting of two parts: trousers and a jacket usually with front zipper. It was originally intended for use in sports, mainly for athletes to wear over competition clothing (such as running shirt and sh ...

; sometimes also short for '' dresiarz'' ( chav) * ' –

USB flash drive A USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. Most weigh less than . Since fir ...

* ' –

campsite A campsite, also known as a campground or camping pitch, is a place used for camping, overnight stay in an outdoor area. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight u ...

Russian

* Дресс-кроссинг ("Dress crossing") –

clothing swap A clothing swap is a type of swapmeet wherein participants exchange their valued but no longer used clothing for clothing they will use. Clothing swaps are considered not only a good way to refill one's wardrobe, but also are considered an act of ...

(analogous to postcrossing,

bookcrossing BookCrossing (also BC, BCing or BXing) is defined as "the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise." The term is derived from bookcrossing.com, a free online book club which was foun ...

); not to be confused with cross-dressing * ("Clip maker") –

music video director A music video director is the head of music video production. The director conceives of videos' artistic and dramatic aspects while instructing the musical act, technical crew, actors, models, and dancers. They may or may not be in collabora ...

* ("strikeball") Страйкбол, ''«Википедия»'' – airsoft * (" Face control") – the policy of screening people based on their appearance *Аниматор ("Animator") – children's entertainer

Austronesian Austronesian may refer to: The Austronesian languages The historical Austronesian peoples The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, M ...

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

* ''

jeepney Jeepneys (), sometimes called jeeps (), are minibus-like public utility vehicles, serving as the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their crowded seating and kitsch decorations, which have beco ...

'' – a mode of

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typic ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, much like a form of

share taxi Share may refer to: * Share, to make joint use of a resource (such as food, money, or space); see Sharing * Share (finance), a stock or other financial security (such as a mutual fund) * Share, Kwara, a town and LGA in Kwara State, Nigeria Share ...

Malaysian Malay Malaysian Malay ( ms, Bahasa Melayu Malaysia), also known as Standard Malay (Malay: ''Bahasa Melayu Standard''), ( English translation: Malaysian language), or simply Malay, is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia (as o ...

* ''action'' - boast; boastful * ''best'' - good * ''cable'' - personal connection or insider * ''power'' - great * ''sound'' - scold * ''spender'' -

undergarment Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...

for lower body e.g

briefs Briefs (or a brief) are a type of short, form-fitting underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where material extends down the thighs. Briefs have various different styles, usually with a waistband attached to fabric that runs along the ...

and

panties Panties (in American English; also called pants, undies, or knickers in British English) are a form of women's underwear. Panties can be form-fitting or loose. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the ge ...

* ''terror'' - great

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Rosenhouse, Judith, Rotem Kowner, eds., ''Globally Speaking: Motives for Adopting English Vocabulary in Other Languages'', 2008, * * * * * * *

External links

Examples of Japanese pseudo-anglicisms
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pseudo-Anglicism Forms of English Language histories ru:Псевдоанглицизм

Definition and terminology

Typology and mechanism

Scope

Examples

Many languages

Japanese

Korean

Romance

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Italian

Brazilian Portuguese Brazilian Portuguese (' ), also Portuguese of Brazil (', ) or South American Portuguese (') is the set of varieties of the Portuguese language native to Brazil and the most influential form of Portuguese worldwide. It is spoken by almost all of ...

Germanic

Danish

Dutch

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law Ger ...

Norwegian

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

Slavic

Polish

Russian

Austronesian Austronesian may refer to: The Austronesian languages The historical Austronesian peoples The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, M ...

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

Malaysian Malay Malaysian Malay ( ms, Bahasa Melayu Malaysia), also known as Standard Malay (Malay: ''Bahasa Melayu Standard''), ( English translation: Malaysian language), or simply Malay, is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia (as o ...

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links

Definition and terminology

Typology and mechanism

Scope

Examples

Many languages

Korean

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Brazilian Portuguese Brazilian Portuguese (' ), also Portuguese of Brazil (', ) or South American Portuguese (') is the set of varieties of the Portuguese language native to Brazil and the most influential form of Portuguese worldwide. It is spoken by almost all of ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

Austronesian Austronesian may refer to: *The Austronesian languages *The historical Austronesian peoples The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, M ...

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

Malaysian Malay Malaysian Malay ( ms, Bahasa Melayu Malaysia), also known as Standard Malay (Malay: ''Bahasa Melayu Standard''), ( English translation: Malaysian language), or simply Malay, is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia (as o ...

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law Ger ...

Austronesian Austronesian may refer to: The Austronesian languages The historical Austronesian peoples The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, M ...

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...