METHODS OF JAPANIZING BORROWING WORDS OF ENGLISH ORIGIN IN JAPANESE LANGUAGE (FROM PHONETIC PERSPECTIVE)

Abstract

Foreigners studying Japanese language, especially those who can speak English might find it difficult to learn borrowing words of English origin. This results from the fact that when English words were borrowed into Japanese, they were so enormously modified particularly regarding their sounds and letters that they can hardly be recognized even by native speakers of English. In this article, based on an overview of phonetics, written Japanese and the basic differences between English and Japanese phonetics, the authors analyze the methods of Japanizing words of English origin from phonetic perspective to help learners of Japanese understand some rules of Japanizing words of English origin so that they can identify
and use Japanese words of English origin more easily.