Englishism
|Eng-lish-ism|
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃɪzəm/
characteristic of English
Etymology
'Englishism' is a Modern English formation combining the word 'English' and the suffix '-ism' (from Modern English), used to denote a characteristic, practice, or product related to English.
'English' comes from Old English 'Englisc' (relating to the Angles, a Germanic tribe), itself from Proto-Germanic '*Anglaz'; the suffix '-ism' derives ultimately from Greek '-ismos' via Latin and French before entering Modern English; these elements combined in Modern English to form 'Englishism'.
The components originally referred to the people/language ('English') and a system/practice ('-ism'); together they evolved to mean either 'a trait of English' or 'an English-derived usage' in modern linguistic contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a feature, expression, usage, or style characteristic of the English language (an English manner of speaking or writing).
The author's translation retained several Englishisms that sounded unnatural in the target language.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a word, phrase, or idiom taken from English and used in another language (an Anglicism).
Modern advertising in that country is full of Englishisms, especially in product names and slogans.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/01 05:49