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 a word in a different language that looks or sounds similar to a word in a given language, but differs significantly in meaning. Examples of false friends include English ''embarrassed'' and Spanish ('pre ...

, which is a word with a

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

that has a different main meaning; in some cases, 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 A loanword (also a loan word, loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language (the recipient or target language), through the process of borrowing (linguistics), borrowing. 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 that 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 In linguistics, a neologism (; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has achieved popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language. Most definitively, a word can be considered ...

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 (linguistics), catena) that forms the basic elements of a language's lexicon (≈ vocabulary). Examples are ''cat'', ''traffic light'', ''take ca ...

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, pseudo-anglicisms can be formed through compounding, suffixation, or ellipsis. For example, the Serbo-Croatian word was created from the English word ''goal'', which the word ''man'' was added to. Alternatively, suffixes such as or may be added to an English word to create a new word in Serbo-Croatian, such as or . Ellipsis may also occur, wherein a component of an English word is dropped, such as the suffix ''-ing''; examples include from ''boxing'', or from ''happy ending''. Another process of

word formation In linguistics, word formation is an ambiguous term that can refer to either: * the processes through which words can change (i.e. morphology), or * the creation of new lexemes in a particular language Morphological A common method of word form ...

that can result in a pseudo-anglicism is a

blend word In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

, 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, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...

", 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 Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Signaling ...

in French, Italian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, Greek οτοστόπ,Georgios Babiniotis, Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, 1998, ''s.v.'' Russian автостоп, Spanish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Hungarian, etc. * ''

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

'' –

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

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

sneakers Sneakers (American English, US) or trainers (British English, UK), also known by a #Names, wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but are also widely used for everyday casual ...

in French * ''

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

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

smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...

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

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 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 Table football, known as foosball or table soccer in North America, is a tabletop game loosely based on association football. Its objective is to move the ball into the opponent's Scoring in association football, goal by manipulating rods whic ...

* – playpen * – drinks in privileged company before a party, a.k.a. "pregame" (opposite of ) * – music quiz / 'name that tune' * – 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.'' * – wifi router or parking space * –

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing, but usually refers to a specific type of twentieth-century venue, with dance clubs (nightclubs) becoming more popular towards the end of the century. The palais de danse was a term ap ...

* (noun) - walk-in closet * – a brief romance, flirtation, a boyfriend or girlfriend * – jogging (though the real English word is also used in French with the same meaning) * –

dry cleaning Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a solvent other than water. Clothes are instead soaked in a water-free liquid solvent (usually non-polar, as opposed to water which is a Solvent#Solvent classifications, polar ...

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

announcer An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience on a broadcast media programme or live event either on radio or television. Television and other media Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaki ...

Clyde Thogmartin, "Some 'English' Words in French", ''The French Review'' 57:4:447-455 (March 1984) * – a wheelie

Italian

* ''autogrill'' () –

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

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

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

remote work Remote work (also called telecommuting, telework, work from or at home, WFH as an initialism, hybrid work, and other terms) is the practice of work (human activity), working at or from one's home or Third place, another space rather than from ...

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

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

s and

smartwatch A smartwatch is a portable wearable computer that resembles a wristwatch. Most modern smartwatches are operated via a touchscreen, and rely on mobile apps that run on a connected device (such as a smartphone) in order to provide core functions. ...

es. * ''water'' () - flush toilet (from English ''water closet'')

Portuguese

* ''outdoor'' ''–''

billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

* ''home office'' ''-'' work from home * ''shopping'' ''-''

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...

Germanic

Danish

* ''babylift'' – baby transport/ carrycot * ''butterfly'' –

bow tie The bow tie or dicky bow is a type of neckwear, distinguishable from a necktie because it does not drape down the shirt placket, but is tied just underneath a winged collar. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also ...

* ''cottoncoat'' –

trench coat A trench coat is a variety of coat made of Waterproof fabric, waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the Trench warfare, trenches, hence the nam ...

* ''cowboytoast'' –

minced meat Ground meat, called mince or minced meat outside North America, is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder or a chopping knife. A common type of ground meat is ground beef, but many other types of meats are prepared in a similar fashion, incl ...

sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

* ''doorstep'' – a short and informal

press conference A press conference, also called news conference or press briefing, is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalism, journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicia ...

* ''monkeyclass'' – economy class * ''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), flomaster (in East and South Slavic countries), texta (in Australia), sketch pen (in South Asia), koki (in South A ...

* ''stationcar'' – blend of

station wagon A station wagon (American English, US, also wagon) or estate car (British English, UK, also estate) is an automotive Car body style, body-style variant of a Sedan (automobile), sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo ...

(US) and estate car (UK) * ''timemanager'' – a calendar or notebook in which one writes down appointments (from the registered trademark Time Manager)

Dutch

* ''beamer'' – a

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

(via German pseudo-anglicism ''Beamer'') * ''box'' – a playpen or a music speaker * ''coffeeshop'' - a shop selling cannabis * ''keycord'' – a

lanyard A lanyard is a length of cord, webbing, or strap that may serve any of various functions, which include a means of attachment, restraint, retrieval, activation, and deactivation. A lanyard is also a piece of rigging used to secure or lowe ...

* ''oldtimer'' – a

classic car A classic car is typically described as an automobile 25 years or older, although a car's age is not the only requirement it must meet before being considered a "classic." However, a standard criteria for recognizing cars as classics does not ex ...

* ''touringcar'' – a

coach (bus) A coach (also known as a motorcoach or coach bus) is a type of bus built for longer distance service, in contrast to transit buses that are typically used for shorter journeys within a single metropolitan region. Often used for touring, inte ...

* ''videoclip'' – a

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

German

German pseudo anglicisms often have multiple valid and common ways of writing them, generally either hyphenated ''(Home-Office)'' or in one word ''(Homeoffice)''. German speakers, especially teachers, often refer to pseudo-anglicisms as ''false friends'', a translation of the German term that may itself count as a pseudo anglicism. * ''Beamer'' – a

* ''Bodybag –'' a

messenger bag A messenger bag (also called a courier bag) is a type of sack, usually made of cloth (natural or synthetic). It is worn over one shoulder with a strap that goes across the chest resting the bag on the lower back. While messenger bags are some ...

* ''Dressman'' – a male model (Onysko calls this the 'canonical example' of a pseudo-anglicism.) * ''Flipper'' – a pinball machine * ''Funsport'' – a sport played for amusement, such as

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...

or frisbee * ''Handy'' – a mobile phone * ''Jobticket'' – a free pass for public transport provided by an employer for employees * ''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 the ...

* ''Shooting'' – a photoshoot * ''trampen'' (verb) – hitchhiking * ''mobbing'' – bullying

Norwegian

* ''hands'' – the offence of

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

* ''sixpence'' – Flat cap

Swedish

* ''after work'' – a meeting for drinks after the workday is finished * ''backslick'' – a wet, combed-back hair style * ''pocket'' – a paper-back book * ''speaker'' – an announcer (such as at sporting events)

Slavic

Serbian

* –

crime boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, mafia don, mob boss, kingpin, or godfather is the leader of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss has absolute or nearly absolute control over the other members of the organization and is ...

* – a person who bets, especially on sports and other competitions * –

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

* –

happy ending A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which there is a positive outcome for the protagonist or protagonists, and in which this is to be considered a favourable outcome. In storylines where the protagonists are in phy ...

* –

* – stretch fabric

Polish

* ''dres'' – tracksuit; sometimes also short for '' dresiarz'' ( chav, gopnik)

Russian

* Дресс-кроссинг ("Dress crossing") – clothing swap (analogous to postcrossing, bookcrossing); not to be confused with

cross-dressing Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express onesel ...

* ("Clip maker") –

music video director A music video director is the head, overseer or facilitator 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 ...

* ("meeting") – rally, demonstration * ("records man") – record holder * ("strikeball") –

airsoft Airsoft, also known as survival game () in Japan where it was popular, is a team sport, team-based shooting sport, shooting game in which participants eliminate opposing players out of play by shooting them with airsoft pellets, spherical plast ...

* (" Face control") – the policy of screening people based on their appearance

Austronesian

Malaysian Malay

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

undergarment Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments 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 clothing from being soiled ...

for lower body e.g.

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

and panties * ''terror'' – great

Indonesian

* ''busway'' –

TransJakarta Transjakarta (stylised in all-lowercase, often erroneously called Busway, sometimes shortened as TJ and branded as TiJe) or Jakarta BRT is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Jakarta, Indonesia. The first BRT system in Southeast Asia, it commenc ...

bus; bus rapid transit * ''cross boy/girl'' – delinquent person * ''free sex'' –

extramarital sex Extramarital sex occurs when a married person engages in sexual activity with someone other than their spouse. The term may be applied to the situation of a single person having sex with a married person. It is distinguished from premarital sex ...

* ''hand body'' – hand & body

lotion Lotion is a low-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to the skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity, typically due to lower water content. Lotions are applied to external skin with bare hands, a brush, a clea ...

* ''handphone'' –

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

* ''healing'' – going on a

vacation A vacation (American English) or holiday (British English) is either a leave of absence from a regular job or school or an instance of leisure travel away from home. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances or for sp ...

to heal mentally * ''magic com'' – multifunctional

rice cooker A rice cooker or rice steamer is an automated kitchen appliance designed to boil or steam rice. It consists of a heat source, a cooking bowl, and a thermostat. The thermostat measures the temperature of the cooking bowl and controls the heat. C ...

* ''outbound'' –

outdoor education Outdoor education is organized learning that takes place in the outdoors, such as during school camping trips. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or quest, journey wilderness-based experiences which engage participants in a v ...

or recreational activities * ''sorry-dorry-morry-strawberry'' – sorry not sorry; sorry * ''sound'' –

sound reinforcement system A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers in Loudspeaker enclosure, enclosures all controlled by a mixing console that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also ...

* ''travel'' – inter-regional

minibus A minibus, microbus, or minicoach is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is us ...

service * ''win-win solution'' – win-win situation; win-win conflict resolution

Other languages

Maltese

* ''goaler'' –

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 English-language influence on other languages ru:Псевдоанглицизм