Phonetic Features of Code-Switching in Bashkir Discourse

Abstract

Introduction. In terms of process, bilingualism — in our case the Bashkir-Russian one — is inextricably linked with the phenomenon of code-switching. According to K. Myers-Scotton, code-switching is the first stage in mastering foreign language lexemes through the native (matrix) language that — when repeated — may become ‘nuclear’ (‘occasional’) borrowings. The latter, in turn, duplicate words already existing in the language and are not included in the mental lexicon of the matrix language as ‘cultural’ borrowings. So, the work examines barbarisms used in simple (living) speech as ‘nuclear’ borrowings in Bashkir. Just like borrowings, code-switching items may undergo phonetic changes in the matrix language. Goals. In this connection, the paper aims to identify somewhat specific and basic patterns of phonetic adaptations inherent to code-switching in Bashkir discourse. Materials and methods. The work primarily analyzes the author’s expeditionary materials and dialect texts contained in the Computer-Based Corpus of Bashkir. The study employs the continuous sampling method to examine texts and spot code-switches represented by individual lexemes (substantive and systemic ones) and word combinations for further analysis. When it comes to describe code-switching items, the Matrix Language Frame model by K. Myers-Scotton has proved instrumental enough. Results. The article examines phonetic changes in intraphrase code-switches in the form of inclusions proper, ‘pidginized’ and ‘insular’ code-switches. The phonetic adaptation of inclusions in Bashkir discourse is manifested in their subjection to the law of vowel harmony, avoidance of consonantal clusters within word stems, vowel or consonant reductions, replacements of alien phonemes by Bashkir ones, etc.