Attitudes of Native Slovene Speakers Toward Anglicisms in the Slovene Language

Podobnik, Tara (author), Ilc, Gašper (mentor)

The Slovene language has, throughout its colorful history, played a pivotal role in the formation of the Slovene national identity. Its position between four languages of politically powerful nations strongly affected its vocabulary, and the efforts of linguistic purists to keep Slovene free of any foreign influences became the protection of national identity. Despite strong negative attitudes of certain linguists toward loanwords, however, average Slovene speakers continue to use them to this day. If frequent use implies positive attitudes, the attitudes of Slovenes toward anglicisms, the use of which has increased during the last few decades, should also be positive. The theoretical part of this master’s thesis is dedicated to the definition of attitude as a psychological concept, its formation, development, stability, and components. The following chapters focus on attitudes in linguistic contexts and the influence of English as a modern lingua franca on languages and cultures of other nations. The final chapters of the theoretical part illustrate the status of the Slovene language as an ‘inferior’ language until Slovenia’s independence, and the puristic movements that led to negative attitudes toward loanwords of the educated few. The empirical part presents data, collected through a questionnaire, on the familiarity and understanding of some commonly used anglicisms and the attitudes of native Slovene speakers toward anglicisms in the Slovene language. The data shows mixed attitudes toward anglicisms, which are overall positive among the youngest respondents and those that have learned English the longest, while the oldest respondents and those that have had the least exposure to English hold overall negative attitudes. Despite mixed attitudes, however, the familiarity and understanding of anglicisms are high across all groups, who overall agree that the use of anglicisms is inevitable and will only increase in the future.

• Language: English
• Keywords: language attitudes, anglicisms, Slovene, native Slovene speakers, national identity
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2021
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-132166
• COBISS.SI-ID: 82527747
• Publication date in RUL: 15.10.2021

PODOBNIK, Tara, 2021, Attitudes of Native Slovene Speakers Toward Anglicisms in the Slovene Language [online]. Master’s thesis. [Accessed 14 April 2025]. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=132166

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Odnos maternih govorcev slovenščine do anglizmov v slovenskem jeziku

Abstract

Slovenščina je skozi svojo razgibano zgodovino igrala pomembno vlogo pri oblikovanju narodne identitete Slovencev. Njena razpetost med štirimi jeziki politično močnejših narodov je močno vplivala na njeno besedišče, prizadevanja jezikovnih puristov obraniti jezika vseh tujih vplivov pa so predstavljala ščitenje narodne identitete. Kljub močno negativnemu odnosu nekaterih jezikoslovcev do prevzetih besed, pa so le-te ostale v uporabi povprečnih slovenskih govorcev do danes. Če pogosta raba namiguje na pozitiven odnos, bi moral biti odnos Slovencev do anglizmov, katerih raba se je v zadnjih desetletjih močno povečala, prav tako pozitiven. Teoretični del magistrske naloge je posvečen definiciji odnosa kot psihološkega pojava, njegovemu nastanku, razvoju, stabilnosti in sestavnim delom. Sledijo poglavja o odnosih v jezikovnem kontekstu in vplivu angleščine kot moderna lingua franca na jezike in kulture drugih narodov. Končna poglavja teoretičnega dela prikažejo status slovenščine kot ‘manjvrednega’ jezika do razglasitve samostojnosti Slovenije in puristična gibanja, ki so vodila v negativne odnose do prevzetih besed izobražene peščice. V empiričnem delu so predstavljeni podatki o prepoznavanju in razumevanju nekaterih pogosto uporabljenih anglizmov in odnos maternih govorcev slovenščine do anglizmov v slovenskem jeziku. Pridobljeni podatki kažejo na mešan odnos do anglizmov, ki je pretežno pozitiven med najmlajšo skupino in skupino, ki se je najdlje učila angleščino, pretežno negativen odnos pa imajo najstarejša skupina in skupini, ki sta bili najmanj izpostavljeni angleščini. Kljub mešanim odnosom sta prepoznavnost in razumevanje anglizmov med vsemi skupinami visoka, večina respondentov pa se strinja, da je raba anglizmov neizogibna in se bo v prihodnosti še povečala.

• Keywords: jezikovni odnosi, anglizmi, slovenščina, materni govorci slovenščine, narodna identiteta