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In:Ugandan English: Its sociolinguistics, structure and uses in a globalising post-protectorate
Edited by Christiane Meierkord, Bebwa Isingoma and Saudah Namyalo
[Varieties of English Around the World G59] 2016
► pp. 149–172

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Lexical borrowings and calques in Ugandan English

Published online: 20 October 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g59.07isi
The chapter highlights cases of lexical borrowings and calques observable in Ugandan English. Both basic lexical items and nonbasic items have been borrowed and calqued from indigenous Ugandan (especially Bantu) languages, in order to not only provide basic lexical items, but also to provide extra communicative effects. Given that Ugandan English draws most of its borrowings and calques from indigenous Ugandan languages, as opposed to other East African varieties of English (i.e. Kenyan English and Tanzanian English), which are influenced mainly by Kiswahili (cf. Schmied 2004), this study augments the discourse on the argument that Ugandan English is a variety of English distinct from Kenyan or Tanzanian English.
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