Analysis of Morphological Changes in English Borrowed Words in Pashto

Abstract

Language is a dynamic and evolving system that reflects continuous cultural and social interactions among speakers. One of the major outcomes of language contact is borrowing, a process in which one language incorporates words, expressions, or structures from another. The present study explores the morphological changes that occur when English words are borrowed into the Pashto language. As English continues to dominate global communication, its influence has reached the Pashto-speaking regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where bilingualism and code-mixing are increasingly common. The research investigates how English loanwords undergo structural adaptation in Pashto, focusing on pluralization, gender assignment, affixation, and derivation. These transformations demonstrate how borrowed words are integrated into the native grammatical system, gradually reshaping the morphological patterns of Pashto. The study uses qualitative analysis of spoken and written data to identify emerging trends in the modification of English-origin words. Findings highlight that younger generations, influenced by education and media, exhibit higher levels of morphological innovation. This research contributes to the broader understanding of linguistic adaptation, bilingual creativity, and language evolution in multilingual societies, revealing how Pashto maintains its identity while absorbing global linguistic elements.