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JURGITA GIRČIENĖ
Vilnius Pedagogical University
NEW FOREIGN WORDS WITH THE ROOT BLOG- AND THEIR EQUIVALENTS
The article discusses new loanwords containing the root blog- and their Lithuanian equivalents: the tendencies in the competitive use of lexical variants and language users’ attitudes were investigated using various methods. The reasons for the (lack of) spread of Lithuanian variants are also examined, and recommendations on variants are offered on the basis of the research findings.
The concept of blog (English blog < weblog < web “network (World Wide Web)” + log “entry” < logging “documentation of the sequence of actions performed by a computer program”)1 began to be used in Lithuania around 1999, after the first Lithuanian blog, www.gobbitas.lt, was created (see Spiridavičiūtė 2007: 35). In computer science dictionaries, this phenomenon is defined as “a collection of articles (impressions, news, events, reflections, etc.) published on a website. Articles are usually published in reverse chronological order” (KTAŽ 2007)2.
The loanword blogas (the variant weblogas is also found in use) brought with it quite a number—more than 20—of related loanwords. The most commonly used loanword with the same root is blogeris, “blog writer, author”; another very common term, used not only by professionals in this field but also by researchers, is blog(o)-sfera, “the totality of blogs.” Less common specific names for the phenomenon under discussion include: audioblogas, “material presented in audio files”; videoblogas, vblogas, vlogas, “material presented in video files”; fotoblogas, flogas, “a photography blog”; moblogas, “a blog created using a mobile phone”; link(b)logas “from
1 The sources used to establish the basic forms and definitions of the loanwords are listed in the bibliography. Many of the new loanwords have not yet been included even in neologism dictionaries that record changes in the language or in online encyclopedias, so their approximate meanings are described on the basis of usage (sometimes limited).
2 For more detail on the etymology of the loanword and the definition of the phenomenon it denotes, see this issue of Kalbos kultūra (Miliūnaitė 2008: 27–31)
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“a blog of [unclear fragment]”; a curious offshoot from the category names was profblogas “a blog written by a professional,” splogas “a spam blog,” superblogas “a popular blog.” Concepts important to specialists include blogferma “a place for hosting blogs,” blogorama “a review of blogs,” blogrolas “a list of links to the author’s favorite blogs,” blogologas “a system for ranking blogs.” A rare loanword is blogingas “writing a blog” (as it competes with the more common hybrid bloginimas); very rare (one-off) loanwords are blogerizmas “a blogging system,” blogonautas “a blogger,” blogoinkubatorius “a place for hosting blogs” (a synonym of blogfermos), blogodialogas “the dialogic nature of a blog,” and blogodepresija “a state in which it is impossible to write a blog.”
Usage yielded a considerable number (over 10) of derivatives sharing the root and formed with Lithuanian suffixes. Some are Lithuanianized synonyms of the loanwords mentioned above, cf.: bloginimas, blògavimas, blogeriavimas and blogingas; blògintojas, blogūnas, blogovas and blogietis. The suffix in the verb blòg-inti “to write a blog” should be regarded as serving more to adapt the word to the grammatical system of Lithuanian than as a word-formation device (cf. Keinys 1984: 114; Mikelionienė 2000: 70). A synonym blòguoti (very rare) and several prefixed derivatives have been observed in usage: išblòginti, pablòginti, nublòginti, apiblòginti, priblòginti.
Equivalents for the loanword blògas were first proposed in early 2005. The first proposal was kaupas. It did not gain currency in usage and was criticized by language users. In January 2007, the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language’s Consultation Bank (hereafter VLKK KB) already listed the two-word equivalent interneto dienoraštis. In March 2007, a survey of language users on the VLKK website http://www.vlkk.lt/ invited them to vote for Lithuanian names for this concept, including: tinklaraštis, interneto dienoraštis, asmenraštis, mintynas (for details, see Jakovlevas 2007: 15; Spiridavičiūtė 2007: 35). At the time in question, the VLKK KB offered interneto dienoraštis, tinklaraštis, asmenraštis; blogeris as possible substitutes for the loanword blògas, while blògintojas, its Lithuanianized variant, was considered a slang word. The Lithuanian variants recommended for use in the standard language are (interneto) dienoraščių rašytojas, dienoraštininkas (see http://www.vlkk.lt/konsultacijos).
Among language publications that provide information not only about the loanword blògas but also about equivalents for several other loanwords sharing its root, the online Kompiuterijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas (KTAŽ 2007) is worth mentioning. It gives the Lithuanian variants tinklaraštis, interneto dienoraštis (weblog, blog); garsinis tinklaraštis, garsinis interneto dienoraštis (audio blog); vaizdo tinklaraštis, internetinis vaizdo dienoraštis (video blog, vlog); when entering into
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the search box the word fragment tinklarašt–, the following search results are returned: garso tinklaraštis, tinklaraštis, vaizdo tinklaraštis—as if to indicate that the dictionary compilers lean more toward the one-word equivalent of the loanword blògas (http://www.likit.lt/term/zodynas.html).
The table presents equivalents found in usage, as well as other equivalents for the more common loanwords mentioned above with the root blòg- (also included here are dictionary recommendations current at the time; almost all of them can also be regarded as usage variants).
TABLE 1. New loanwords with the root blòg- and their equivalents
(internet) diarist, (internet) diary writer, internet personal-diary writer
blòginti (blòguoti)
to write (maintain) a blog, to blog, to write a blog
to write an internet diary
blogging (blogging, blogging, blogging)
blog writing
writing an internet diary
blog(o)sfera
blogosphere
the internet-diary community
blogrolas
list of blogs
list of internet diaries
blogorama
overview of blogs
overview of internet diaries
audio blog
audio, audio blog
audio online diary, online audio diary
photoblog (phlog)
photo blog, photo weblog
photo diary
moblog
mobile, movable blog
mobile online diary
video blog (vblog, vlog)
video blog, video weblog
video journal, online video diary
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USAGE TRENDS
To identify trends in the competition between lexical variants, the study focused primarily on targeted public, informal usage (for the term, see Miliūnaitė 2008)—blogs: 1) a statistical analysis of blogs was conducted, and 2) a questionnaire survey of bloggers was carried out. The lexical items under investigation are used not only in blogs but more widely, so 3) general usage was also examined: statistical analysis was conducted using the general internet search engine Google, and a qualitative study was also carried out to establish how competition between lexical variants has developed.
1. To investigate the lexical variants, 45 of the most visited blogs were selected. They were included in the list of winners of the Lithuanian Blog Awards 2008 published on the Lithuanian Blog Encyclopedia website (http://visiblogai.lt/index.php/Rinkimai08), and in the table of the most visited blogs published on a Lithuanian blog rankings website (2008 10 03) (http://www.blogologas.lt/). To establish the current situation, the most recent blog posts—that is, those from the preceding months—as well as lists of topics and links were examined.
The lexical items of interest were not found in six blogs. Of the other 39 blogs, 14 use only Lithuanian variants (tinklaraštis, less often tinklaraštininkas), 13 use only loanwords (blogas, blogeris), while an equal number (13) mix loanwords and Lithuanian variants (tinklaraštis and blogas, tinklaraštininkas and blogeris). Among the latter, five lean more toward Lithuanian terms: the loanwords are either used only once or found only in links; or the more established Lithuanian variant proposed earlier and more widespread in usage, tinklaraštis, is consistently preferred, while the loanword blogeris and other blog- derivatives without widely used equivalents are retained for now; or the loanwords serve an explanatory, metalinguistic function, for example:
“Blogas”—first and foremost, this is a Lithuanianized form of the English term “Blog”, which is a shortening of the original term “Weblog”. In Lithuanian it is translated as tinklaraštis. Thus, we have established that in Lithuanian “Blogai” are called tinklaraščiai. But what kind of phenomenon is this? Tinklaraščiai are a unique space that their author can control: free to write down their thoughts, publish photographs, post links, and receive comments from internet users. The first tinklaraščiai appeared online in 1996–1997 in the United States, when a few internet users published daily updates on their personal websites. Perhaps the main reason for the popularity of tinklaraščiai is simplicity and freedom. Today, tinklaraščiai are so widespread that almost everyone has one—from teenagers sharing their joys to high-ranking businesspeople and organizations. Tinklaraščiai include specialized websites or sections of general websites, in wh-
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In blogs, authors, so-called “bloggers” (blog writers), express their thoughts, events, observations, and ideas on a chosen subject. Blogs most often comment on the content of a chosen subject, such as music, cinema, food, politics, or news; many blogs function as personal diaries. A typical blog consists of text, pictures, and links to other “blogs,” pages, or other information related to the blog’s subject matter. Most blogs are text-based, but “photoblogs” and “video blogs” are also popular. [http://kasyrablogas.lt]3
In this particular case, a preference for using specifically Lithuanian terms is also indicated by the graphic highlighting of the loanwords. Note the phrase asmeninis dienoraštis, printed in spaced-out type [emphasis added by J. G.]—it is used not as a universal equivalent of the loanword blògas (cf. tinklaraštis), but as a narrower term naming one type of blog.
2. To verify whether the findings of the study of lexical variants in blogs genuinely reflect current usage trends, and to establish the motives for choosing between variants and their possible dependence on demographic and social factors, a questionnaire survey of bloggers was conducted. Respondents were asked: 1) which variant(s) they use and why (blogas / tinklaraštis / interneto dienoraštis / kita; blogeris / tinklaraštininkas / (interneto) dienoraštininkas / kita; bloginti / rašyti tinklaraštį / kita); 2) whether their choice of variant depends on the circumstances. More than 50 questionnaires were distributed—they were first sent to the authors of the most visited blogs under study and subsequently, to improve representativeness, the number of participants was increased by including other respondents (e.g., younger people).
Twenty-one questionnaires were returned, most of them from the authors of the most-read blogs mentioned above. The respondents were 16–30 years old; 17 men and 4 women were surveyed. Almost all had (some) higher education, that is, their studies were either completed (from age 23) or still in progress (ages 18–23), depending on age; the exceptions were the sole school-age respondent (16) and a 24-year-old respondent with secondary education. More than a third of respondents were active in, or interested in, fields or professions related to information technology; somewhat fewer were connected with economics and finance, (internet) advertising, and marketing; there were also specialists in law, human-resources management, history, and physics. The participants
3 Here and in the examples that follow, text elements relevant to the discussion that appear in bold or spaced-out type have been highlighted by the article’s author; the linguistic expression and graphic marks (quotation marks, etc.) are authentic.
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This number, although not very large, essentially corresponds to the portrait of a typical blogger drawn by blog researchers and bloggers themselves:
No studies have yet been conducted, but it is thought that bloggers in Lithuania are 15–30 years old (Spiridavičiūtė 2007: 36).
What is the portrait of a Lithuanian blogger? <...> What kind? Young, one could say around twenty years old (perhaps a little older), a white man who does not emphasize his faith. He is interested in computers (perhaps one could even put it more emphatically—he is a programmer) or is a marketing specialist. [www.nepo.lt/lt/nuomone/kritika/koks-tas-lietuvisko-blogerio-portretas, 2007 11 16]
An examination of the use of particular lexemes (lexicalized combinations of them) revealed that, among the Lithuanian equivalents, respondents choose only those containing the compound-word element tinklarašt- (with the sole exception of one case in which a respondent says they choose interneto dienoraštį, because their blog belongs specifically to this type of blog). Given the longer history of using loanwords (the neologism tinklaraštis, its derivative tinklaraštininkas, and the phrase rašyti tinklaraštį were proposed later than the first equivalents kaupas, interneto dienoraštis, asmenraštis; dienoraštininkas; rašyti interneto dienoraštį), it can be argued that the aforementioned derivatives with tinklarašt- compete quite successfully with their loanword predecessors. A similar number of respondents said they use them; cf.: rašyti (pildyti) tinklaraštį (14) / bloginti, rašyti (į) blogą (14: 11 and 3); tinklaraštis (15) / blogas (16); tinklaraštininkas, tinklaraščio autorius (10: 5 and 5) / blogeris, blogo autorius (18: 15 and 3) (respondents could indicate that they use several names for the same referent). For now, only the Lithuanian forms in the last pair are somewhat less popular than the loanwords—it is clear that, among the possible one-word equivalents, the rather long compound derivative tinklaraštininkas is finding it harder to gain acceptance; bloggers themselves observe this (see the section “Factors Determining the Choice of a Lexical Variant” for more).
An analysis of the variants selected by each questionnaire respondent found that more than half (11) of the respondents use Lithuanian (tinklaraštis, tinklaraštininkas (tinklaraščio autorius), rašyti (pildyti) tinklaraštį) and borrowed (blogas, blogeris (blogo autorius), bloginti (rašyti blogą)) lexical variants interchangeably. Some respondents reported using variants of the doublets in all three pairs; others had two positions in which they varied, while still others used lexical variants synonymously in only one of the three pairs (similar numbers of respondents represented all three groups). In the third group of respondents (whose age range is considered to be that of bloggers of intermediate age, 18–26),
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respondents aged 20–25 predominate; compared with the other groups, there are more women here (3) and proportionally fewer information technology (hereafter IT) specialists.
Almost half as many respondents (6) indicated that they use only loanwords blogas, blogeris (blogo autorius), bloginti (rašyti blogą). One of them noted in written comments that they use the Lithuanian tinklaraš- variants in professional settings, while another respondent mentioned precisely these Lithuanian equivalents, “coined recently,” as suitable for use compared with “the name proposed earlier, interneto dienoraštis, which is not suitable for the photoblog he writes.” It is worth noting that all members of this group are men, belonging to the middle and oldest blogger age ranges (22–30); most are IT specialists.
The fewest respondents (4) indicated in the questionnaire that they use only Lithuanian names tinklaraštis, tinklaraštininkas (tinklaraščio autorius), rašyti (pildyti) tinklaraštį. However, in written comments, three of them stated that they also use loanwords in informal settings. Thus, in summary, it can be argued that at the time under consideration, interchangeable use of the borrowed and Lithuanian names for the referent was most characteristic (see the figure below for the distribution of respondents according to their choice of Lithuanian and borrowed lexical variants). The one female and three male respondents in this group, including two IT specialists, can be considered representatives of the younger blogger age range (16–23).
The questionnaire survey of bloggers’ opinions essentially confirmed the results of the blog study. Different methods identified similar tendencies in the use of lexical variants: loanwords are genuinely and, given the differing traditions of use (to the detriment of the equivalents), quite successfully challenged—at the time under consideration, they are almost equally popular—only by neologisms containing the compound-word element tinklarašt-, while the other equivalents are practically not-
use only tinklarašt- use only blog- use blog- and tinklarašt-
Distribution of bloggers according to questionnaire data
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are used; a large proportion of bloggers currently use, interchangeably, foreign words and their equivalents denoting the same realia. A questionnaire survey does, however, show a somewhat greater tendency toward variation than the study of the blogs themselves: more than half of the bloggers who completed the questionnaires reported using the borrowed and Lithuanian names for the same realia interchangeably, while among the popular blogs examined, a somewhat smaller proportion (one third) showed the same tendency. This difference is undoubtedly due to the fact that, as the comments show, most authors regard the blogs they write as a public activity and understand them as professional, formal, written usage; they therefore try to observe language norms and choose Lithuanian variants, whereas in spoken, informal communication they are more relaxed and more often choose the more familiar borrowed variant. Thus blogs—at least some of them—show tendencies in publicly used vocabulary only, while the questionnaires also illustrate private usage.
3. To investigate more representatively the tendencies of general usage—both (edited) formal and (unedited) informal—in addition to the questionnaire survey and the study of blogs, the search engine Google was used. The most frequent word was found to be the foreignism blogas (3,370 occurrences), with its one-word equivalent tinklaraštis almost three times less frequent (1,370), while the two-word expression interneto dienoraštis is quite rare (266), and the equivalent asmenraštis was not found at all in the form under study4. Examination of the derived forms with suffixes and/or compound names of these lexical variants, denoting the person performing the action and the action itself, revealed similar tendencies: the foreignism blogeris is most frequent (5,350), its equivalent tinklaraštininkas several times less frequent (990), dienoraštininkas is very rare (6), and the variants interneto dienoraštininkas and asmenraštininkas were not found; among the Lithuanian variants, the most frequent is rašyti tinklaraštį (1,220), rašyti interneto dienoraštį is very rare (69), and rašyti asmenraštį was not found (it is impossible to determine the frequency of use of the variant bloginti because of the homograph blõginti). Certain inaccuracies in Google searches (for example, a more frequent word may be returned not only in the requested form, but also in other cases) prevent these results from being considered entirely statistically reliable—they should be regarded as revealing general usage tendencies.
It should be noted that the statistical data from the search engine Google reflect not the situation at the time of speaking, but the entire history of the use of foreignisms and their equivalents proposed at different times (in the case of the foreignism, it is objectively longer
4 The entire paradigm was not examined; only the dative case of each variant was studied (to avoid the homographs blogas / blogas). The search was conducted on Lithuanian websites on 2008 10 12.
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; interneto dienoraštis is an older recommendation than tinklaraštis). The other two methods examined a target audience and texts created by that very audience—blogs, that is, a certain, presumably very important, segment of usage; the search engine Google represents a variety of usage ranging from duplicates in edited media to comments on chat sites that often resemble private conversations. Despite the differences mentioned, the usage tendencies of these lexical variants broadly coincide: the statistics show that the only real competitors to the foreignisms are equivalents containing the element tinklarašt-.
This is also confirmed by data from a qualitative study of the development of general usage. They show that in public, formal usage at the time in question there is a clear tendency to use Lithuanian equivalents, most often specifically variants containing tinklarašt- (other variants are sometimes chosen as contextual synonyms or for metalinguistic reasons), for example:
Who are tinklaraštininkai? How does traditional media regard them, and how do they want to see themselves? How does Lithuanian tinklaraštija differ from that abroad? How can one successfully write one’s own interneto dienoraštį? How important is correct Lithuanian on the internet? Is it possible to earn money from tinklaraščių rašymo? All these topics were discussed at the second Lithuanian conference on tinklaraščių and the internet, “BlogIn 2008”. <...> It is hard to believe that this is not a conference of professionals, but a gathering of people who share a hobby—and such young people at that. Incidentally, the audience is indeed young; the average age might be twenty-five. [Adomas Rutkauskas, “BlogIn 2008”: moderni Lietuvos interneto konferencija, 2008 04 14, Veidas, interneto prieiga: http://www.veidas.lt/lt/leidinys.full/48033cb3856aa]
About a couple of years ago, the Lithuanian variants were still merely companions to the foreignism—and practically to just one of them, blogo. At the time, the most frequently used term was interneto dienoraštis, for example:
internetiniai dienoraščiai (English blog), which have rapidly gained popularity in Lithuania, have established a firm foothold in the country and have even become part of what is considered traditional media. This is what say the authors who write such dienoraščius and who will gather on March 14 for the first Lithuanian “blogerių” conference.
“Because of the growing influence of the community of “blogų” authors, “blogai” are beginning to be called citizen media, since, thanks to the simplicity of their establishment and access, they have already become an excellent means of public communication, capable of disseminating the most important news more effectively and rapidly than the traditional press, radio, or television,” the “blogų” authors’ statement says.
According to the author of the dienoraščiowww.zudykreklama.lt website, Arnoldas Rogoznyj, the so-called “blogeriai” are characterized by constructive thinking, expertise in their field, and analytical ability. Lithuanian news portals www.delfi.lt, www.alfa.lt, www.vz.lt already have a “Blog” section, when
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who are prominent politicians. It is noticeable that some “blogs” posts are also published in the press and discussed on radio or television <...> [“Blogs” have become part of Lithuania’s traditional media, say specialists, 2007 02, balsas.lt]
This is understandable, since the equivalent internet diary, alongside kaupas, asmenraštis, is one of the earlier Lithuanian alternatives; tinklaraštis appeared somewhat later. It is natural that for a while the Lithuanian alternatives compete not only with the foreign word, but also with each other—sometimes even being used interchangeably in the same text:
Blogs, or—as proposed by VLKK—internet diaries (and a third option, blog posts), began to gain popularity in Lithuania’s online space only a couple of years ago, but even now there are many people who do not know what blogs. Blogs are; to them, they mean what is wrong, whereas the Lithuanian blogosphere is full of genuinely good things. [Tomas Andriukonis, A Few Strokes for a Portrait of a Lithuanian Blogger, 2007 11 21, www.vtv.lt/naujienos]
The intimate-sounding internet diary (other Lithuanian substitutes for weblog:tinklaraštis, asmenraštis) is a promising product of the changing media landscape. <...> Internet diaries attract broad audiences with their relevance, freedom, radicalism, diversity, and the opportunity to choose and participate actively in the abundant chain of posts. Now let us turn to creating and maintaining a tinklaraštis. A good tinklaraštis is a combination of subtle taste, lively wisdom, and invaluable time. Such a combination has a magnetic pull on users and, inevitably, on suppliers as well. Thus, a high-quality tinklaraštis can become a source of profit. [S. Štrimait y tė, Internet diary in the commercial mire, 2007, http://www.universitetozurnalistas.lt/archyvas/unizur/unizur_5_6.html]
The suitability of equivalents formed with the element tinklarašt- is also suggested by the fact that, in official usage, another Lithuanian equivalent later appears alongside the two-word Lithuanian variant internet diary, for example:
In the second part, the lecturer will survey the “blogosphere”—the space of internet diaries (tinklaraščiai)—at “Integruok! Marketing Communication 2008.” [February 7–8, 2008, Vilnius, Crowne Plaza Vilnius hotel, conference program www.vcc.lt/lt/integruok]
The example shows an effort to describe another term important to bloggers in Lithuanian: blogosphere. It is worth noting that, in current usage, equivalents already exist for almost all foreign words with the root blog-; these needs are best met by equivalents containing the element tinklarašt- (they are the most frequent).
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FACTORS DETERMINING THE SELECTION OF LEXICAL VARIANTS
The electronic discourse on foreign words with the root blog– and their equivalents, together with comments from surveyed bloggers, clearly reveals the reasons for the popularity of equivalents belonging to the tinklaraštis group and their ability to compete with foreign words and other Lithuanian variants.
First, here are several comments by different authors posted in the discussion area of the VLKK website:
Web log in English means a record of the network, hence tinklaraštis. A shop has shop assistants, a hair salon has hairdressers, and tinklaraštį is written by tinklaraštininkai.
Internet diary is still too long, but asmenraštis, although it describes what a “blog” is, does not fully convey that a tinklaraštis exists on the internet. This term also invites the view that an asmenraštis is something personal and confidential, whereas tinklaraščiai are directed toward society. That leaves tinklaraštis.
You weren’t listening carefully—Donskis called a blog a diary, but as he spoke it became clear that this name was not quite right, because a diary is an intimate matter, whereas a blog is a public diary—that is, not very sincere; a blogger writes knowing that everyone will read it.
I’ve heard that language is a system. Blog, blogger, blogsphere, blogorama, blogfarm.
Bloggers who completed the questionnaires express similar views about the lexical variants:
Tinklaraštis is the most informative name and corresponds to the meaning of the English word “blog” (which derives from the words web (network) and log (in this case, entries arranged in chronological order, often simply called logs by computer scientists).
I use the variant blog, because blogas is an Anglicism adapted to Lithuanian, whereas internet diary does not capture the essence of blogs.
My blog is not a diary; it is kept up in a somewhat different format. It is a photo blog, and I could not say that what I do could be called a diary. Perhaps the term blog, coined recently, could be used.
It describes a person’s activity most precisely: that is, a blogger is someone who writes a blog. Besides, it sounds particularly pleasant.
I use the variant blog author, because blogger is an Anglicism adapted to Lithuanian, while blogger is too long and too confusing.
Writing a blog is the only one of all the variants that sounds acceptable and accurately conveys the idea.
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Thus, the comments show that language users find the most acceptable equivalents for loanwords with the root blog- to be those belonging to the blog group: their motivation is clear, the semantic scope of the equivalents matches that of the loanwords, the Lithuanian variants are systematic (forming an adequate system corresponding to the loanwords), relatively economical, and productive. These features are very important both in creating other one-word terms and in forming related multiword names, e.g.: thematic blog, economic blog; blog-based pseudonym, blog-based screensaver; bloggers’ section, and so on. The abundance of multiword names with the element blog- also attests to the suitability and appeal of variants belonging to the blog group.
The advantages and disadvantages of lexical variants identified by language users essentially correspond to the criteria for evaluating equivalents set out in The General Principles for Standardizing New Loanwords (for more details, see BNSNP 2007). A Lithuanian variant that meets the criteria has a real chance of competing with the original, more familiar loanword; one that does not meet them is doomed to fail. This is borne out by earlier studies of competition between loanwords and their equivalents (see Girčienė 2005: 107–127). The study of loanwords with the root blog- and their Lithuanian equivalents confirmed the earlier conclusion that, from among numerous innovations, usage undoubtedly selects those that prove most socially appropriate and functional (ibid., 126–127).
Based on trends in the competitive use of lexical variants identified through various methods and on language users’ opinions, it is appropriate to present a recommendation table of loanwords with the root blog- and their equivalents containing the element blog-.
TABLE 2. Recommended equivalents for loanwords
Loanword
Equivalents
blògas
blog
blogger, blog writer
blogger, blog author
to blog
to write (fill in) a blog
blòginimas, blògingas
blog writing (filling in)
blog(o)sfera
blogging
blogrolas
list of blogs
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Continuation of Table 2
Foreign word
Equivalents
blogorama
overview of blogs
audioblogas
audio blog, audioblog
fotoblogas
photo blog, photoblog
moblogas
mobile, on-the-go blog
videoblogas
video blog, videoblog
CONCLUSIONS
More than twenty loanwords with the root blòg- and more than ten related derivatives with Lithuanian suffixes are in use; these may be regarded as Lithuanianized synonyms of loanwords, cf. blòginimas and blogingas, or as loanwords in which the suffix essentially serves as a means of adapting them to the grammatical system of Lithuanian, e.g. blòginti. The most common are blògas, blo-geris, blòginti, blòginimas; blogosfera; audioblogas, fotoblogas, moblogas, videoblogas; blogorama, blogrolas.
Lithuanian equivalents exist for all these loanwords. They essentially fall into two groups: those related to the one-word neologism tinklaraštis (tinklaraštininkas, rašyti tinklaraštį, tinklaraščio rašymas; tinklaraštija, etc.) and those related to the two-word equivalent internet diary (internet diary writer, to write an internet diary, internet diary writing; the collective of internet diaries, etc.) for the loanword blògas.
Although the two-word equivalent was proposed and entered usage somewhat earlier than the one-word form, at the time in question the representatives of the tinklaraštis neologism group are undoubtedly leading among Lithuanian names for one and the same concept: in officially edited usage they have practically already displaced the loanwords, while in unofficial usage, including blogs, they compete successfully with them. The acceptability of these equivalents is evidenced both by positive feedback from language users, including bloggers, and by the conformity of words or phrases in the tinklaraštis group with the criteria for assessing equivalents set out in the General Principles for Standardizing New Loanwords. Thus, consideration should be given to reducing the number of unpromising variants.
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ŠALTINIAI
Ayto J. Oxford a Century of New Words, Oxford University Press, 2007.
Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, 11th Edition. Interneto prieiga: http://www.merriam-webster.com
KTAŽ 2007: V. Dagienė, G. Grigas, T. Jevsikova. Kompiuterijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas. Interneto prieiga: http://www.likit.lt/?i=terminija/aiskinamasis_zodynas
Laisvoji interneto enciklopedija „Vikipedija“: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
VLKK KB: Valstybinės lietuvių kalbos komisijos konsultacijų bankas. Interneto prieiga: http://www.vlkk.lt/konsultacijos
LITERATŪRA
BNSNP 2007: Bendrieji naujųjų skolinių norminimo principai. Interneto prieiga: http://www.vlkk.lt/i/news/267.doc
Girčienė J. 2005: Naujųjų skolinių atitikmenys: struktūra ir vartosena, Vilnius: Lietuvių kalbos instituto leidykla.
Jakovlevas V. 2007: Interneto dienoraščių (blogų) įtaka internetinės žiniasklaidos turiniui Lietuvoje ir užsienyje: naujausios tendencijos. [Bakalauro darbas]
Keinys S. 1984: Lietuvių kalbos hibridai (sąvoka, rūšys ir normiškumas). – Lietuvos TSR Mokslų akademijos darbai, A serija, 3 (88), 113–124.
Mikelionienė J. 2000: Šiuolaikiniai metodai kalbos naujovėms tirti. – Darbai ir dienos 24, 65–88.
Miliūnaitė R. 2008: Tinklaraščių kalbos vieta dabartinės vartosenos schemoje. – Sociolingvistiniai lietuvių kalbos tyrimai. J. Jablonskio konferencijos pranešimų tezės. Interneto prieiga: http://www.lki.lt/php/files/08JJKonfTezes.doc
Spiridavičiūtė G. 2007: Blogai kaip žiniasklaidos priemonė. [Bakalauro darbas]
Gauta 2008 10 17
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NEW LOANWORDS WITH THE ROOT BLOG- AND THEIR EQUIVALENTS
Summary
The paper discusses new loanwords with the root blog- and their Lithuanian equivalents: it investigates the tendencies of using lexical variants and attitudes of language users and the reasons for the non-/acceptance of Lithuanian equivalents. The paper also offers recommendations on the research-based preference of lexical variants.
The actual use has over twenty loanwords with the root blog- and over ten coinages consisting of the same root and a Lithuanian component. The coinages should be treated as near-Lithuanian synonyms of loanwords or loanwords which take a Lithuanian component as a means to adjust to the grammatical system of the Lithuanian language. The most frequent of them are the following: blògas, blògeris, blòginti, blòginimas; blogosfera; audioblogas, fotoblogas, moblogas, videoblogas; blogorama, blogrolas. All of them have Lithuanian equivalents. They fall into two groups: some of them are related to the one-word coinage tinklaraštis, the others are derived from interneto dienoraštis, a two-word equivalent of the loanword blògas.
The investigation has attested to the fact that among the Lithuanian names of one and the same realia currently preference is given to the group of equivalents of the tinklaraštis type. The acceptability of the equivalents has been supported by language users as well as bloggers. Moreover, the equivalents are in conformity with the criteria of equivalent evaluation laid down in the principles of norm setting of borrowings. Therefore, a shift in reducing the number of unacceptable variants can be presumed.
