foreignism
Imported linguistic element
A foreignism is a word, phrase, or expression borrowed from another language that retains its foreign character in English—not yet naturalized or anglicized.
Unlike fully assimilated loanwords, foreignisms stand out as conspicuously non-English: *Schadenfreude*, *je ne sais quoi*, *chutzpah*.
The term often carries a faint whiff of pretension—using foreign expressions where English alternatives exist.
Temporary taking of another's
- calqueBorrowed phrase translated literally
- anglicismEnglish loanword abroad
- neologismNewly created expression
- transliterationCross-script phonetic spelling
cognate · etymology · lexicon · vernacular · code-switching · barbarism · adoption · naturalization
Allure of the unfamiliar
- othernessQuality of being unlike
- multiculturalismCoexistence of diverse traditions
- cosmopolitanCulturally sophisticated, internationally fluent
- interculturalBetween different cultures
ethnography · acculturation · diaspora · expatriate · cross-cultural · globalization · transnational · bicultural
Attractive, tempting quality
- unfamiliarNot previously known
- noveltyQuality of being original
- mystiqueAura of fascination
- intrigueSecret plotting or fascination
curiosity · otherness · quaint · outlandish · alien · peculiar · orientalism · fetishization
borrowing
Temporary taking of another's
- calqueBorrowed phrase translated literally
- anglicismEnglish loanword abroad
- neologismNewly created expression
transliteration · cognate · etymology · lexicon · vernacular · code-switching · barbarism · adoption · naturalization · assimilation
exoticism
Allure of the unfamiliar
- othernessQuality of being unlike
- multiculturalismCoexistence of diverse traditions
- cosmopolitanCulturally sophisticated, internationally fluent
intercultural · ethnography · acculturation · diaspora · expatriate · cross-cultural · globalization · transnational · bicultural · pluralism
allure
Attractive, tempting quality
- unfamiliarNot previously known
- noveltyQuality of being original
- mystiqueAura of fascination
intrigue · curiosity · otherness · quaint · outlandish · alien · peculiar · orientalism · fetishization · romanticization