Question on terms

[robynbunny]

Hello everyone,

I also posted this under sociolinguistics, as the terms probably show up more frequently in sociolinguistics, but since the research is on phonology, I'd also like to seek more opinions.

I am writing a proposal of research on loanword phonology in diaspora communities which are surrounded by a larger community (i.e. community of an ethnic minority who speak their own language but being surrounded by a dominant language spoken in the larger community that speaks English or French, etc.). I am having a hard time in choosing the proper term to refer the two languages. Should the latter be called "dominant language"? "Host language"? Or what is the professional way to term it? And what about the former (language spoken in the ethnic communities)?

Thank you very much for answering!

RobynBunny

[robynbunny]

I could use the terms "donor language" and "recipient language" that are frequently  used in loanword phonology, but is there any way I could emphasize that the donor language surrounds the recipient language? Should this donor language be called Matrix language or something that sounds alike? I don't think matrix language fits well here, coz I think it focuses on an individual's code-switched speech, in which the dominant one is the matrix, but mine is about being dominant in the society. Anyone knows? Thanks 

[mallu]

I dont think that there ould be a particular term for that. Is the donor language the official language of the state? Or the common language of the region?

[Daniel]

Is the donor language the official language of the state? Or the common language of the region?

"Donor language" is just any language from which a word is borrowed. So "piñata" and "jalapeño" are loanwords from Spanish into English, and the donor language is Spanish.