Tag: loanword
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Head honcho
WotD: Head honcho The Japanese language uses many English loanwords. The English language is comprised of loanwords from other languages, including Japanese. One of those words from Japanese, honcho, is what we’ll be looking at today. First, when a word from one language is ‘borrowed’ by another, the meaning is often changed. English speakers say…
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Ambiance
Word of the Day: Ambiance For such a small word, ambiance can have a significant effect on people. It’s the mood of a place, the feeling you get when you are in a place or the atmosphere or mood you experience when you are around a person. It’s common for Japanese people to use the…
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Loanword
Word of the Day: Loanword They call it a loanword, but really, it’s stolen. We’re all thieves. Yep, that’s right. If you can read this, I’m happy to tell you that you’re a thief too. If you speak English, you are one of the biggest thieves in the whole world. As an English language teacher, I…
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Pronto
Word of the Day: Pronto Pronto is an adverb which means immediately or without delay. People usually insert it into a sentence after the verb they want to modify to add effect. From my experience, it’s also generally used in short sentences, such as when your mother gets angry at you because you’re late for dinner and…
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En masse
Word of the Day: En masse The English language has adopted many words and terms from other languages. Some have been changed and no longer look or sound like the original language, while others are used in their original form. En masse is one of these terms. En masse is a French loanword used when…
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Joie de vivre
Word of the Day: Joie de vivre Let’s go, French, shall we? English has many French loanwords, such as joie de vivre, because French has been a significant part of English since William the Conqueror led the Norman invasion of England. We also use French phrases. Our pronunciation of French may not be entirely correct,…
