Language of COVID-19: Language Absorption in the Pandemic Vocabulary from English to Arabic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact not only on public health but also on language dynamics, including the Arabic language. Arabic has witnessed a rapid expansion of its vocabulary in relation to COVID-19. The objective of this research is to demonstrate the newly added vocabulary and examine how these terms have been assimilated from English into Arabic. The study employs a qualitative approach, utilizing the “Dictionary of COVID-19 Terms (English-French-Arabic)” as its primary resource. The data analysed in this study consist of entries pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic found within the aforementioned dictionary. The analysis incorporates content analysis, as well as phonological and morphological analysis. The findings of this investigation reveal the presence of four distinct absorption strategies employed in the dictionary: adoption, adaptation, translation, and creation. Among these strategies, the translation strategy is found to dominate the process of absorbing English terms into Arabic, accounting for approximately 68% of the observed cases. This research ultimately concludes that language is an ever-evolving entity, constantly adapting alongside the societal and cultural developments it reflects.