Globalization and the Borrowing of “Weekend” from English into Arabic

Abstract

This study was driven by the observed prevalence of the English word “weekend” among Arab speakers, whether in informal written or spoken communication. It aimed to examine the current status of this foreign word and determine if it is ready to be integrated into the Arabic lexicon. The study relied on a linguistic corpus including contexts containing the Arabized version of “weekend”- “?????” on the popular social media X-platform. This data was supplemented by a questionnaire distributed to 316 Arabs and a comprehensive survey of the status of English as the dominant language in the era of globalization. The analysis revealed an intriguing linguistic phenomenon. The data showed that the word “weekend” is linguistically prepared for integration into the Arabic vocabulary system. However, this integration is still being resisted, as most Arabs expressed their disagreement with the word officially joining their lexicon. While they acknowledged their widespread use of the word and its convenience compared to the native equivalent, they insist on maintaining the Arabic phrase "????? ????? ???????" /'ij?zat nih?yat al-'usb??/. The study concludes that the potential entry of “weekend” into Arabic depends on the conflict between globalization and the increasing acceptance of the word on the one hand, and the rejection by the majority to preserve the Arab identity. Any future societal trends towards accepting this word will pave the way for its integration, as it is already linguistically prepared.