Semantic adaptation of germanisms in the conceptual field: Sports, entertainment and games

Abstract

Semantic adaptation refers to the process of adjusting the meaning of a foreign word to the linguistic system of the recipient. When a word is "borrowed" from a foreign language, its original meaning may be lost or changed to better fit the new linguistic environment. This usually happens through prolonged use of the word in the target language, during which a new connotation of the word may gradually develop. In this study, the semantic adaptation of German-origin words in the Bosnian language system refers to the adjustment of the meanings of words integrated into the Bosnian language. Specifically, we examine how German-origin words related to sports and games are adapted to the Bosnian language system and what changes in their semantics are noticed after integration into the Bosnian language. This paper will also analyze the prevalence of German words in the field of sports and games and investigate how often they are used in the Bosnian language. By combining the analysis of semantic adaptation of words and research on the frequency of word usage in the Bosnian language, this paper will provide insight into the influence of the German language on the Bosnian language in the field of sports and games.