Semantic loan

Hi there!

Today we are going to talk about something called "semantic loan".

Imagine you have a toy car that you love. Suddenly, your friend asks to borrow it. Even though you are hesitant, you agree to let them play with it. When they return the toy car, you notice that it has a different color and some parts are missing.

This is a bit like what happens with "semantic loan". It's a fancy term that describes how some languages borrow words from other languages, but the meanings of those words can change a bit over time.

For example, let's say English speakers need a new word for "computer". They might find the Dutch word "computer" and adopt it into English. However, in Dutch, "computer" actually means "an accounting machine". So even though English borrowed the word, it changed the meaning a bit to fit its needs.

This happens a lot with language borrowing. Sometimes a word is borrowed just because it sounds cool or trendy, but the original meaning gets lost or muddled in the process.

Overall, "semantic loan" is just a fancy way to describe how words can be borrowed between languages, but their meanings might transform as they adapt to new environments.