A Study Of Types And Linguistic Features Of Loanwords In Kazakh Language In Xinjiang And Kazaks’ Attitudes Towards Loanwords

The study of loanwords, as an important subject in general linguistics and beinga hot topic for research in language variation and change since the1950s, casts lighton language evolution, language contact and language variation.The paper focuses on the classification and linguistic features of loanwords inKazakh. Based on the collected1395loanwords from previous literatures anddictionaries, the researcher discusses the classification of loanwords from4borrowing methods: phonetic borrowing, semantic borrowing, combined borrowingand hybrid borrowing. The effects of loanwords on Kazakh phonology andlexicology are further discussed with specific examples. Then, the linguistic featuresof those loanwords are analyzed. Based on the results from questionnaires, interviewand matched-guise tests, Kazaks’ attitudes towards loanwords are revealed and socialfactors’ influences are discussed.The main findings of this paper are as follows:1)Phonetic borrowing is themain type of loanwords;2）Some loanwords are influenced by Kazakh phonologicalrules and thus changed, while, there are some changed in Kazakh phonology;Loanwords have enriched the vocabulary of Kazakh, by the way of adding newwords and new affixes or roots; The transference and change of lexical meaningoccured in some loanwords;3) Noun occupies the majority of loanwords; loanwordsrelated with daily life are the major part in the semantic fields;4) According to theresults of questionnaire, gender, age, region and education type are influential factorsin different attitudes towards loanwords; The results from matched-guise test showthat the evaluation on Kazakh words are higher than loanwords.To sum up, this research may be a useful case study of the language contact andvariations with its significance in the bilingual education for the Kazaks.