SEMANTIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF LATIN BORROWINGS IN ENGLISH EDUCATIONAL TERMINOLOGY

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of the meanings of Latin lexical borrowings and their equivalents in contemporary English educational terminology. A corpus of 20 lexemes selected from the field of education and pedagogy is classified according to four main types of semantic transformations: narrowing (specialization), broadening (generalization), pejoration, and amelioration. The study is grounded in a theoretical distinction between the causes, nature, and results of semantic shift, as well as in the concept of semasiological mechanisms and lower-level models of semantic transformations following Geeraerts’ classification. Particular attention is paid to combined transformations, in which denotative changes are coupled with emotive components (e.g., narrowing and amelioration). Latin word meanings are provided according to the Oxford Latin Dictionary, while the meanings of their English equivalents are taken from the Oxford Dictionary of Education. The study employs a comparative analysis, examining Latin lexeme meanings alongside their contemporary English terminological equivalents, which allows for precise determination of the nature of semantic transformation without accounting for intermediate stages of borrowing. The results demonstrate that in educational terminology, narrowing of meaning predominates over broadening (70%), pejoration was not detected, while amelioration is present in only 2 cases. Metaphorical and metonymic transfer emerge as the principal cognitive mechanisms of transformation. The practical significance of the work lies in developing analytical tools for examining Latin borrowings in English academic vocabulary and in enabling the use of this material in courses on Latin language and English lexicology. The results contribute to understanding the cognitive mechanisms of terminologization and institutionalization of English academic vocabulary, particularly in educational discourse.