Today our topic of discussion is -Bengali Loanwords English
Bengali Loanwords English
The historical background
Though Bengali and English are relative languages in this sense they belong to the same language family which is Indo-European. But the invasion of English words in Bengali was expedited because of the British colonialism. In 1617, the British East India Company was given permission by Mughal Emperor Jahangir to trade in India.
Gradually their increasing influence led the Mughal Emperor Farrukh Siyar to grant them permits for duty-free trade in Bengal in 1717. The Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud Daulah, the ruler of the Bengal province, opposed British attempts to use these permits.
This led to the Battle of Palashi on 23 June 1757, in which the Bengal army of the East India Company, led by Robert Clive, defeated the French-supported Nawab’s forces. This was the first real political foothold with territorial implications that the British
acquired in Indian subcontinent. Clive was appointed by the company as its first ‘Governor of Bengal’ in 1757. This was combined with British victories over the French at Madras, Wandiwash and Pondichery that along with wider British successes during the Seven Years War, reduced French influence in India.
The British East India Company extended its control over the whole of Bengal. After the Battle of Buxar in 1764, the company acquired the rights of administration in Bengal from Mughal Emperor Shah Alam Second; this marked the beginning of its formal rule, which within the next century engulfed most of India. By the 1850s, the East India Company controlled most of the Indian subcontinent, which included present day Bangladesh also.
Their policy was sometimes summed up as Divide and Rule, taking advantage of the enmity festering between various princely states and social and religious groups.
Position of English language in Bengal:
After the victory of Palashi battle in 1757, naturally, business and trade of the East India Company that is the British traders, increased at Kolkata, In that time neither the British knew Bengali language nor did the Bengali people know English language that much. It was the pre-situation of the entrance of English in the locality of Bengal.
In course of time, some people learnt English by the company and support of English or the persons who knew English. Among them the name of Rammohon Roy. Neelmoni Dutt. Dwarkanath Tagore. Dewan Ramkamal Sen can be mentioned (Monsur Musa and Monoara Ilias, 1994: 226)
‘On the other hand, among the English Halhed, Duncan, Hoton, Cerry, Forbes learnt a little Bengali. We know that Ramram Basu taught Bengali to the pastors Thomas and William Cerry’ (Monsur Musa and Monoara Ilias, 1994: 226)
In 1775, after establishing the Supreme Court in Kolkata, English language learning for Bengali and Bengali language that is the local language learning for English were considered necessary. Because of having no institutional education, people taught and learnt English language privately in many ways.
Gradually the invasion of English words was increased in the vocabulary of Bengali people. Considering English language learning very profitable, many people started to open small institutions to teach English.
In 1801, the English civilians got the chance to learn local language institutionally after establishing Fort William College in 1800 and the department of Bengali in 1801, that is at the beginning of 19th century. Besides in 1817, many Bengali people got the opportunity to learn English language after establishing Kolkata School Book Society.
In the new economic situation of Kolkata, learning English became inevitable. Gradually English was started to be considered as a prestigious language in the Bengali community. In the speech of everyday life, English was started to be used now and then.
Words like honor, money and power were found to be connected with English language in that time in Bengali society. In this way, the usage of English language and taking words as loan from it increased in Bengali speaking community. Not only for job but also for business. teaching and learning English became essential for Bengali.
Now the influence of English is much intense in Bengali among the foreign languages lots of English words have been included and are being included, and will be included more in Bengali language; words related to living style and thought are coming in Bengali that is in other Indian languages along with the it fluence of Europe’ (Chatterjee, 1999:
15).
Since the British colonialism ended in 1947 in Indian subcontinent, the impact of English language on the land remained the same. The way we see English in the life of Bengali people in this era of globalization, is the result of British colonialism which lasted for 200 years.
Now English is an international language. The practice of English is being increased day by day. Bengali people are practicing English not only for getting a good job or running a business better, but also they learn it to acquire knowledge and higher degree.
In this era of globalization, more Bengali people are getting acquainted with European culture and ideas, more the usage of English words is being increased in Bengali language.
Linguistic analysis of English loanwords:
At this stage of study we will analyze the English elements exist is Bengali language from linguistic point of view. This analysis will be based on the following aspects:
1. Phonological analysis
2. Morphological analysis
Phonological analysis of English loanwords:
As we said earlier in our previous sub-chapters that phonology is one of the core topics of linguistics. Every language is different and unique because of its difference in structure. English is no longer exceptional in this regard as well.
English loanwords which exist in Bengali vocabulary have their own characteristics and nature. While taking as loan, Bengali arranged those according to its own phonological structure. This arrangement occurred in some processes. The processes which mainly responsible for the sound change are
1. Final vowel insertion
2. Syncope
3. Initial consonant elision
4. Enapticsis
5. Partial phonological change
6. Metathesis
7. Prothesis
8. Substitution
Processes are explained below:
Final vowel insertion: In this process a vowel inserts at the end of a word. Examples are the following-
Syncope: Deletion of the vowel sound from the middle of a word is the process named Syncope. This process is also found between English and Bengali language. For instance
Consonant elision: In this process the initial consonant of a word is deleted. For example –
Anapticsis: This is the sound change process where two connected consonants are separated because of the entrance of a vowel sound. We find this process in below. example –
Partial phonological change: While taking English words as loan, partial phonological changing occurred. In this process plenty of English words came in Bengali. For instance
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