borrowing
noun
Borrowing — the appropriation of ideas, words, or elements from another source
Definition
The appropriation (of ideas or words etc) from another source; "the borrowing of ancient motifs was very apparent"
In depth
Borrowing, in this specific sense, names the appropriation of ideas, words, or other elements from another source, particularly common in linguistic and cultural contexts describing how languages, art forms, and traditions adopt elements from one another. Unlike financial borrowing, this sense implies no expectation of return, the borrowed element simply absorbed and incorporated into its new context.
Origin
The word descends from Old English borgian, to borrow, related to the concept of security or pledge. Its extension to describe linguistic and cultural exchange, rather than literal financial lending, reflects a long tradition in scholarship of treating language and culture as a kind of shared, communal resource from which creators freely draw, regardless of formal permission or eventual repayment.
Usage examples
"The borrowing of ancient mythological themes remains a persistent feature of modern storytelling across nearly every medium."
"Linguists trace extensive borrowing between English and French following centuries of historical contact between the two cultures."
"Her novel's borrowing from classical structure gave it an unexpected resonance with readers familiar with the older tradition."
How to use it
Borrowing in this sense of cultural or linguistic appropriation is common in literary criticism, linguistics, and art history, useful for describing influence and adoption without necessarily implying the more loaded ethical connotations sometimes attached to 'appropriation.'
Related concepts
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