Loanwords in Serbian

Most Serbian words are of native Slavic lexical stock, tracing back to the Proto-Slavic language. There are many loanwords from different languages, reflecting cultural interaction throughout history. Notable loanwords were borrowed from Greek, Latin, Italian, Persian, Turkish, Hungarian, Russian, English and German.

Overview

It is estimated that there are 900–1,200 Greek, 88–188 German, and an uncertain high number of Turkish and Persian loanwords in modern Serbian.

History

Proto-Slavic

Ancient Greek words in Proto-Slavic are identified through phonetic features, some related to Greek phonetic history, others possibly Scythian-Sarmatian or Gothic mediations. Ancient Greek, non-mediated words are ''korablja'' (ark), ''koliba'' (cottage, hut), and supposedly ''trem'' (porch); Scythian mediations are ''luk'' (onion), ''haluga'' (fence), ''koš'' (basket), ''talog'' (dregs), ''kurva'' (whore, slut, skank, hooker); supposedly Gothic mediations are ''crkva'' (church) and ''daska'' (plank). There exists loanwords in Proto-Slavic from non-Indo-European languages. Among Uralic and Turkic lexemes, estimated to have been adopted between the 3rd and 7th century, surviving into modern Serbian are ''čaša'' (cup, mug, glass), ''knjiga'' (book), ''kovčeg'' (chest), ''krčag'' (pitcher), ''sablja'' (sabre). Adoptions from Avaric in the 6th–7th centuries are the titles '' ban'' and ''župan'', and ''klobuk'' (a type of hat). South Slavic was also influenced by Bulgar since their arrival in the eastern Balkans in the 7th century, e.g. ''beleg'' (landmark), ''beočug'' (shackle), ''bubreg'' (kidney), ''pašenog'' (co-brother-in-law), ''tojaga'' (bludgeon).

Old Serbian

The South Slavic languages were greatly influenced by Greek beginning in the Early Middle Ages, through translation of Byzantine works, leaving religious, philosophical and psychological terms. Late medieval speech had very few loanwords, rather replacing Greek words with calques for linguistical purity. German linguist Vasmer (1944) recorded 1,000 Greek words in Serbian, most of which were addressed in the Old Serbian form. Today, it is estimated that 900–1,200 Grecisms (''grecizmi'') exist in Serbian, more than 400 being in the church-religious section. In the economical section, apart from Greek, many words in Old Serbian were Romance. In mining, the majority of words were Germanic, arriving with Saxons.

Modern history

The Ottoman conquest began a linguistical contact between Ottoman Turkish and South Slavic; Ottoman Turkish influence grew stronger after the 15th century. Besides Turkish loanwords, also many Arabic (such as ''alat'', "tool", ''sat'', "hour, clock") and Persian (''čarape'', "socks", ''šećer'', "sugar") words entered via Turkish, called "Orientalisms" (''orijentalizmi''). Also, many Greek words entered via Turkish. Words for hitherto unknown sciences, businesses, industries, technologies and professions were brought by the Ottoman Empire. Christian villagers brought urban vocabulary from their travels to Islamic culture cities. Many Turkish loanwords are no longer considered loanwords.

In the 19th and early 20th century Serbian, unlike the Croatian, version of the Serbo-Croat language continuum was much more open to internationalisms (words from Latin and Classical Greek) used in sciences and arts (cf. Serbian ''istorija'' vs. Croatian ''povijest'' = ''history'' and such).

Contemporary situation

English influence is seen in recent times, with the common suffixes ''-er'' and ''-ing''., Examples are ''kasting'', ''ketering'', ''konsalting'', ''listing'', ''džoging'', ''šoping'', etc. Foreign loanwords are becoming more frequent in sports terminology.

Comparison with other Serbo-Croatian variants

The differences between Serbian and Croatian is mainly reflected in loanwords. Bosnian has the most Ottoman Turkish loanwords of all Serbo-Croatian variants.

Purism

Serbo-Croatian vocabulary is of mixed origin, with words borrowed from Greek, Latin, Italian, Turkish, Hungarian, and more recently Russian, Czech and German. Most loanwords have entered Serbian without resistance, while on the other hand in Croatian, linguistic purism was adopted as a policy during Austria-Hungary (against presumed Germanization) and later in Yugoslavia (against presumed Serbian domination). In Croatia, the term "Serbisms" is used for characteristically Serbian words, unwanted during World War II and the Yugoslav wars, many of which have been replaced by neologisms.

Examples

*''alas'', "river fisherman", from Hungarian ''halász''
*''alat'', "tools", from Arabic ''آلة''

*''ašov'', "shovel, spade", from Hungarian ''ásó''
*''avlija'', "yard", from Greek
*''badem'', "almond", from Persian ''bādām''
*''baksuz'', "bad luck", from Turkish
*''bakšiš'', "tip", from Turkish
*''barut'', "gunpowder", from Turkish
*''biber'', "pepper", from Greek
*''bitanga'', "bastard, rascal, rogue, scum", from Hungarian ''bitang''
*''brak'', "marriage", from Russian
*''bubreg'', "kidney", from Turkish ''böbrek''
*''budala'', "fool", from Turkish
*''bunar'', "water well", from Turkish
*''bunda'', "fur coat", from Hungarian
*''burazer'', "bro", from Turkish
*''burma'', "wedding ring", from Turkish
*''bre'', interjection, from Turkish or Greek
*''čaj'', "tea", from Persian or Turkish ''çay''
*''čak'', "even" , "albeit", from Turkish
*''čamac'', "small boat", from Turkish
*''ćao'', greeting, from Italian '' ciao''
*''časopis'', "magazine", from Czech
*''čarapa'', "socks", from Arabic ''جوراب''
*''čaršav'', "sheet", from Persian ''chādorshab''
*''ćelav'', "bald", from Turkish ''kel''
*''ćevapi'', a grilled meat dish similar to sausages, from Turkish '' kebab''
*''čelik'', "steel", from Turkish ''çelik''
*''cipele'', "shoes", from Hungarian ''cipellő''
*''čizme'', "boots", from Turkish ''çizme''
*''čoban'', "shepherd", from Turkish ''çoban''
*''ćorav'', "blind, near sighted", from Turkish ''kör''
*''čorba'', "soup", from Turkish ''çorba''
*''crkva'', "church", from Greek ''kyriakón''
*''čudovište'', "monster", from Russian
*''ćufta'', "meatball", from Persian ''kufteh''
*''ćuprija'', "bridge", from Greek ''géfyra'' ''köpru''
*''cvekla'', "beet", from Greek
*''daska'', "plank", from Greek
*''drum'', "road", from Greek ''drómos''
*''đak'', "student, pupil", from Greek ''diákos''
*''đakon'', "deacon", from Greek ''diákonos''
*''đubre'', "garbage, trash, rubbish", from Greek ''kópros''
*''dugme'', "button", from Turkish
*''dušek'', "mattress", from Turkish
*''duvan'', "tobacco", from Persian ''dokhān''
*''džep'', "pocket", from Arabic ''جَيْب''
*''džigerica'', "beef", from Persian ''jegar''
*''episkop'', "bishop", from Greek ''épískopos''
*''guma'', "rubber", from Greek ''kómmi''
*''hartija'', "paper", from Greek ''chartí''
*''hiljada'', "a thousand", from Greek ''khiliás''
*''jeftin'', "inexpensive, cheap", from Greek
*''jok'', "no", from Ottoman Turkish ''yok''
*''kada'', "bathtub", from Greek ''kádos''
*''kamata'', "interest", from Greek ''kámatos''
*''karanfil'', "carnation", from Greek
*''kasarna'', "barracks", from French ''caserne''
*''kesa'', "bag, sack", from Persian ''kiseh''
*''kesten'', "chestnut", from Greek ''kástana''
*''klisura'', "gorge", from Greek ''kleisoúra''
*''kobila'', "mare, female horse", from unknown, cf. Latin '' caballus ''horse''
*''koliba'', "cottage", from Greek
*''kočija'', "carriage, chariot", from Hungarian ''kocsi''
*''koljivo'', "wheat", from Greek
*''komad'', "piece, parcel", from Greek ''kommátion''
*''korablja'', "ark", from Greek
*''koš'', "basket", from Greek
*''kravata'', "necktie", from French ''cravate''
*''krevet'', "bed", from Greek ''kreváti''
*''kruna'', "crown", from Latin ''corona''
*''kum'', "godfather", from Latin ''compare''
*''kutija'', "box", from Greek ''koutí''
*''lapsus'', "lapse, mistake in a speech", from Latin
*''ličnost'', "individual, personality", from Russian
*''livada'', "meadow, field of flowers", from Greek ''livádi''
*''lopov'', "thief", from Hungarian ''lopó''
*''luk'', "onion", from Ancient Greek
*''majmun'', "monkey", from Arabic''مايمون ''
*''majstor'', "master, repairman", from German ''meister''
*''miris'', "smell, aroma, odour", from Greek ''mýron''
*''nafta'', "petroleum", from Greek ''náphtha''
*''nagrada'', "reward, prize", from Russian
*''nana'', "mint", from Persian ''na'nā''
*''narandža'', "orange", from Persian ''nāranj''
*''pantalone'', "trousers, pants", from Italian
*''papuče'', "slippers", from Persian ''pāpush''
*''pasoš'', "passport", from Hungarian ''passzus''
*''patos'', "floor", from Greek ''pátos''
*''peškir'', "towel", from Turkish
*''piljan'', "godson", from Latin ''filianus''
*''pita'', "pie", from Greek ''píta''
*''podrum'', "basement", from Turkish
*''pop'', "priest", from Greek ''papás''
*''putir'', "chalice", from Greek ''potḗr''
*''rovit'', "weak, liquid, fluid", from Greek
*''rajsferšlus'', "zipper", from German
*''sanduk'', "chest", from Arabic ''صندوق''
*''šator'', "tent", from Persian ''chādor''
*''šećer'', "sugar", from Persian ''shekar''
*''šnajder'', "tailor", from German
*''šnicla'', "steak", from German
*''šrafciger'', "screwdriver", from German
*''štrudla'', "strudel" (a type of pie), from German
*''sidro'', "anchor", from Greek ''sídiros''
*''simpatičan'', "nice", from Italian ''simpatico''
*''sirće'', "vinegar", from Persian ''serkeh''
*''šnajper'', "marksman shooter", from English (US) ''sniper''
*''soba'', "room", from Hungarian ''szoba''
*''somun'', "bread, loaf, bun", from Greek
*''stanovništvo'', "population", from Czech
*''sunđer'', "sponge", from Greek
*''talas'', "wind or sea wave", from Greek ''thálassa''
*''tiganj'', "pan, skillet", from Greek ''tigáni''
*''top'', "cannon" from Turkish
*''trpeza'', "dining table", from Greek
*''usled'', "due to", from Russian
*''varoš'', "town, borough", from Hungarian ''város''

References

Sources

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Further reading

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{{Serbian language

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Serbian words and phrases
History of the Serbo-Croatian language
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