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Patterns and variability of the use of lexical borrowings in educational texts in the Eskimo Language during the formation of written language

https://doi.org/10.25587/3034-7378-2026-14-31-47

Abstract

The article analyzes lexical borrowings from Russian recorded in educational texts in the Eskimo language during the period from the 1930s to the 1960s. This period is characterized by the establishment of Eskimo writing and the formation of a literary language, which necessitated the introduction of new concepts associated with changes in the social and cultural spheres. The scientific problem addressed by the research lies in the absence of a systematic analysis of authorial strategies in the use of lexical borrowings in educational texts in the Eskimo language during the formative period of its written tradition. The aim of the study is to identify and describe the features of Russian borrowings in educational publications in the Eskimo language from the aforementioned period, as well as to determine the factors influencing the choice of different types of borrowings. The material for the study consists of educational publications in the Chaplino dialect of the Eskimo language, including primers, reading books, and school dictionaries held in the Department of National Literatures of the Russian National Library. The study employs a descriptive-analytical method, comparative analysis, and elements of statistical data processing. The structural types of borrowings are examined: material borrowings (directly transferred from the source language) and translation borrowings (created using the resources of the Eskimo language). Special attention is paid to a comparison of the approaches of two leading scholars of the Eskimo language, E.S. Rubtsova and G.A. Menovshchikov. Two main strategies for introducing borrowings are identified, the chronological dynamics of borrowing usage are analyzed, and key patterns of change are highlighted, including the successive replacement of one type by another and the variable use of different forms. The data obtained refine our understanding of the processes involved in the formation of lexical norms in the Eskimo language. The results can be applied in the development of modern educational materials for the Eskimo language and in lexicographic practice. Future research prospects include extending the chronological scope of the analysis and comparing the findings with data from other languages of the region.

About the Author

T. P. Golovatskaya
Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia
Russian Federation

Taisya P. Golovatskaya – Cand. Sci. (Philology), Associate Professor, Department of Paleo-Asian Languages, Folklore, and Literature, Institute of Peoples of the North 

Elibrary AuthorID: 626205 

Saint Petersburg 



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Review

For citations:


Golovatskaya T.P. Patterns and variability of the use of lexical borrowings in educational texts in the Eskimo Language during the formation of written language. Arctic XXI century. 2026;(1):31-47. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25587/3034-7378-2026-14-31-47

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ISSN 3034-7378 (Print)
ISSN 3034-7386 (Online)