A linguistic analysis of English nativised lexes and their perception by online gamers in Jordan

Abstract

The occurrence of loanwords that have been Arabicized or nativised in the gaming genre necessitates an investigation into the nature and implications of this phenomenon. The objective of this research is to examine the systematic and rule-governed process of nativisation, as well as its impact on language adaptation within the gaming community in Jordan, where English is spoken as a foreign language. Additionally, it seeks to explore gamers' perceptions of these words and determine whether these nativised English words are used together with their Arabic equivalents in the gaming genre, or if they are replacing their equivalents based on Communication Accommodation Theory (Giles and Ogay, 2007). The sample consisted of 100 participants [aged 12–16] enrolled at the Islamic Educational College in Amman. Based on watching video clips taken from various live streams containing the target words in context, participants were asked to complete a multiple-choice task focusing on the meaning and origin of these words. The results indicate that nativisation in the gaming genre in Jordan follows a systematic and rule-governed pattern. The majority of participants demonstrated awareness of the meaning and origin of most words, suggesting a conscious effort to adapt them to Arabic linguistic patterns. Our argument is that by using these nativised words in online gaming, gamers aim to establish rapport, strengthen connections, gain approval, earn rewards (such as points), and align themselves with professional gamers. Furthermore, gamers distance themselves from the language style of newcomers who employ Arabic words instead of nativised words, and are considered vulnerable in gaming.