Notes on English Loanwords in Japanese: Major Sound Transformations

抄録

The current paper discusses major sound transformations that English words undergo when they are borrowed as loanwords into Japanese. Since English sounds outnumber Japanese sounds, sound substitutions frequently occur. As a means of breaking consonant clusters in English, vowel insertion is widely observed. These transformations are highly rigid and predictable, as evidenced by nonce borrowing data (i.e., borrowing only at that time for that particular speaker). It is suggested that presenting some of the common transformations as rules to English speakers learning Japanese might be beneficial. The paper offers a sample handout that can be used for American students who have mastered the Katakana syllabary.