Lexical Borrowing and Cultural Identity in Contemporary Urban Vernaculars

Abstract

In this study, the role of lexical borrowing in contemporary urban vernaculars and its influence on cultural identity were addressed. The study will identify the language reflection between native and alien words, which will unify the social relations and cultural identity of urban settings. The main objectives of the study are to prove the existence of the lexical borrowing words, to study the motive of the borrowing patterns, and to estimate the process of the cultural identity change in the urban environment with the help of the patterns. The methodology uses two main approaches, quantitative and qualitative surveys. The usage of languages in several urban environments was analyzed in a quantitative survey, whereas in a qualitative method, samples of languages in urban areas were analyzed. Results indicate that 45% of words used in everyday urban discourse are borrowed, with English being the most common source (65%). In personality development, lexical borrowing plays a major role, showing that the most used borrowed patterns are addressed especially in informal communication, with 70% of urban youth aged 18–25 using borrowed terms in everyday speech to convey a combination of local and global identities. Some borrowed phrases represent indicators of social status and advancement due to the fact that they also serve as a reflection of social hierarchies. Social identification variables, including socio-economic position, ethnicity, and social mobility, were discovered to be significantly correlated with the frequency of borrowed phrases (r = 0.72).  According to the study, the interaction between global influences and local identities mediates the cultural practices, most importantly in lexical borrowing. These borrowed terms in this study not only enhance the language, but they also help people to negotiate their cultural identity in the fast-growing urban environment.