All languages borrow lexical items from other codes, and have always done so. In the European context, it can be said that certain languages seem to have been particularly prone to borrowing from others, as for instance German, which has over the centuries incorporated large numbers of words from Latin, Italian, and French and, more recently, English. English too, has over the
centuries borrowed extensively from other European languages: Today it is the most prolific
‗donor‘ giving words to most languages in Europe and beyond often replacing indigenous items which, from a linguistic point of view, were perfectly acceptable.
Crystal (1980:47) refers to borrowing as ―linguistic forms being taken over by one language or dialect from another language‖. Borrowings are also called ‗loan words‘. Busman (1996:55) defines borrowing as the adoption of language usually when no term for the new concept exists in the dominant language‖. Borrowing involves the direct transfer of linguistic elements from the secondary language into primary (major) language. For example French words, Latin Lexemes and so on are found in English. Loan words become part of the dominant language with time but they do not lose their background and import so easily. Borrowing is fundamental to the development of languages. For example, Latin language was initially the world language but because it would not accommodate words from other languages, it became almost extinct and is now restricted to liturgical use. Borrowing in sociolinguistic occurs when word or phrase is borrowed from one language in to another language.
Adeyanju (1986) opined that, ―borrowing is a sociolinguistic situation in which a word or phrase which has been taken from one language is used in another language‖. When borrowing is a single word, it is called a loan word. Borrowing is as a result of contact situation. Whenever two or more languages come in contact, a number of phenomena take place, such as borrowing, multilingualism, bilingualism, code-switching, code mixing, language domination and sometimes language shift and death. Borrowing occurs in adults as well as children. The borrowed item serves a momentary need that may be caused by laziness, fatigue or some form of emotional stress which makes the bilingual forget to correct term. The reasons for borrowing are not always of a negative kind. A speaker may consciously choose one item from the other
language because he considers it more appropriate or more relevant to the points. Incidents of borrowing in the speech of bilinguals directed to other bilinguals do not normally lead to misunderstanding of the contrary. The incident can add interest, humour or intimacy to the conversation and cause delight to both interlocutors of their shared linguistics knowledge.
Borrowing according to Routledge Dictionary Language and Linguistics (1995:55) is: ―Adoption of a linguistic expression from one language in to another language usually when no term exists for the new object concept or state of affairs‖. Among the causes of such cross-linguistic influence (language contact) may be various political cultural, social or economic developments.
Throughout its history, English too has been subjected to foreign culture and language for example, through the expansion of the Roman Empire, the development and growth of science and humanities. French borrowing have been on and off since Norman Conquest and there has been more recent borrowings from dozens of languages in modern times, especially through the growth of telecommunications and universal travel. It is true that borrowing enriches and sustains a language. Care should be taken not to allow borrowed words dominates the major language because by so doing, the primary language will lose its prominence to the borrowed language (language shift); and where the trend continues unchecked, the probability of the
‗major‘ language being threatened by loss, decay or extinction (language death) is higher.
Borrowing takes place at all levels of language which are syntax, morphology, semantics, phonetics, phonology and lexicon. It refers not only to words from other language but also to words which have been created to name new inventions and deliberate combination of words.
Lexis is an aspect of language which is very central to borrowing. Words are more easily moved from one language to another in a very large numbers. Phonology and phonetics are concerned with features like vowel assimilation, vowel reduction and insertion which affect the speech
structure of the language. Vowel insertions will be exemplified. Vowel insertion involves the insertion of a vowel in to a syllable combination. Examples from the Yoruba language are:- Yoruba /English,
Ibusun( Bed ) , Ago ( Clock )
The Yoruba language borrowed the words ―Bed‖ and ―clock‖ from English. However the syllable structure of Yoruba language does not permit consonant cluster. Vowels are therefore inserted into the consonant cluster. This is borrowing at phonological and lexical levels.
Borrowing is a linguistic innovation that takes place in language. The perpetuation of human language depends upon our human prosperity even eagerness to imitate. That makes it possible for patterns of one language to be borrowed into another.