Assimilation of Gallicisms in the Canadian English-language media as a reflection of the sociolinguistic situation in the country

Abstract

This article analyzes the issues related to the identification of the main tendencies in the process of assimilation of French loanwords into Canadian English. It highlights sociolinguistic peculiarities of Canada, which has a long history of coexistence between the two languages, and provides a classification of loanword assimilation types, as well as some graphic and morphological assimilation subtypes characteristic of Canadian English. Based on the content analysis of the most relevant materials published since 2012 in the Canadian English-language media, both national and regional (The Montreal Gazette, The Toronto Star, CBC, The Suburban), as well as those published in the American media since 2020 (The New York Times, New York Post, USA Today, The Washington Post), statistics on the frequency of use of assimilated and non-assimilated forms of Gallicisms are provided. By measuring and comparing their frequency, the article reveals the tendency of Canadian English to preserve the French norm regarding both graphic and morphological assimilation of loanwords. The study cites authentic contextual examples of the use of assimilated and non-assimilated Gallicisms in the Canadian English-language media. It concludes that the identified patterns are directly linked to the specific features of Canada’s sociolinguistic situation, with its ever-growing bilingual population, and that further research in this field remains relevant in view of the country’s ongoing sociolinguistic changes.

Keywords

• gallicisms
• french loanwords
• assimilation
• adaptation
• canadian english
• sociolinguistic situation
• graphic assimilation
• morphological assimilation