A functional analysis of English borrowings in Japanese advertising: Linguistics and sociolinguistic perspectives

An analysis of English borrowings in Japanese advertising sheds light on both the various functions that English loanwords perform in Japanese and the symbolic value attached to the English language in Japan. Specifically, this analysis examined four hypotheses: (1) the primary function of English loanwords in Japanese advertising is to make the product or service seem more modern and sophisticated; (2) there is a strong relationship between loan functions and linguistic variables such as word-classes, linguistic types, and the semantic changes that loanwords undergo; (3) sociolinguistic variables such as audience characteristics and product or service type have a great effect on the number and function of loans; and (4) language modality (spoken versus written) affects the extent to which loans are used, the linguistic types of loans, and the distribution of loans among various grammatical and functional categories.;To test these hypotheses, 5,556 occurrences of English loanwords from 513 television commercials and 406 print advertisements were classified by functional categories: lexical-gap fillers, technical terms, special-effects-givers, euphemisms, and trade names. The purpose was to investigate relationships between the loan function and the aforementioned linguistic and sociolinguistic variables.;The predominance of special-effects-givers over other types of loanwords in the sample supported the first hypothesis. However, since no strong relationship was found between loan functions and linguistic variables, it would appear that the current influx of special-effects-givers in advertising does not cause a change in the linguistic features of the Japanese lexicon. Similarly, the text-mode differences do not seem to be an important factor affecting the number, or the grammatical, linguistic and functional types of loans.;However, the third hypothesis was confirmed; a high number of special-effects-givers found in advertising products or services related to modern and Western lifestyle gave additional evidence that the primary function of loans in advertising is to convey modernity and sophistication. A variable proportion of loans by function in the ads for various age groups was explained in terms of both the nature of the products being aimed at audiences of different ages, and the symbolic value that Japanese currently associate with English.