LOANWORD-NEOLOGISMS IN CONTEMPORARY GERMAN AS A MIRROR OF INFLUENCES

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of loanword neologisms in contemporary German as a linguistic phenomenon reflecting external influences on the language. As we live in a globalized world, language inevitably undergoes foreign influence due to constant linguistic contact. Among the key factors contributing to the penetration of borrowings into the language are the globalization of the world economy, the formation of an international media space, and the emergence of the global computer network. Language is an open, dynamic, and flexible system, which naturally absorbs external influences from other languages. This is reflected in the widespread use of borrowed lexical units that meet the need to name new concepts, realities, and phenomena. Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 439 neologisms recorded in the Duden, Neologismenwörterbuch, and GfdS sources, it was established that 44% of the new lexical items are of borrowed origin. The study describes the main forms of borrowing, including direct borrowings, calques, partial calques, and derivational borrowings. A distinctive feature of loanword neologisms, especially direct borrowings, is their adaptation to the grammatical system and orthographic norms of the German language. In order to determine the influence of other languages and cultures on German, the borrowings were analysed by their origin, revealing that English plays a leading role, reflecting the influence of the United States and Anglo-American culture. Loanwords frequently appear in the social sphere, leisure, nutrition, and modern technologies, indicating changes and innovations in these domains that enter the German language and culture along with new designations. The findings demonstrate that loanword neologisms not only enrich the German lexicon but also reflect sociocultural and technological transformations of the modern world. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of linguistic adaptation, intercultural interaction, and the trends in the development of contemporary German vocabulary in the context of a globalized society.