Attitudes towards anglicisms and the English language in the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language used by IT professionals and students in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Anglicisms, words borrowed from the English language, which do not have to be of English origin, are observed in the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, attitudes towards the English language by a certain group of native Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian speakers were observed. The research includes insights into the adaptation of anglicisms as an important point in borrowing into an inflective language. The research observes the attitudes towards the usage of anglicisms in the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language and each of them separately. Additionally, attitudes towards the English language, familiarity with anglicisms and proper use of the observed anglicisms has been included in the research. The familiarity with anglicisms is observed through the understanding of the meaning and their proper usage. The participants are random native speakers of the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language who belong to the Internet Technology (IT) field profession and are based in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results show that both the attitude towards anglicisms and the English language are vastly positive, although a total of 44% of the observed anglicisms are translated. The positive attitude towards anglicisms implies their frequent use, mainly adapted to the different systems of the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language. The usage is reflected in the two possibilities: English words used in their original form or adapted on different levels. In addition, as the need for it appeared along, the adaptation was also observed. The original or an adapted form and how far the adaptation goes in the system of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language (phonology and morphology) The research also displays the advisability and growing need for anglicisms in this field and confirms the significance of those words in the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language. The findings imply that there is probably another parameter or parameter (variable(s) influencing the attitude, which could easily be the trend and the global reputation of the English language.