Hobson-Jobsonism

noun

A word or phrase borrowed by one language from another and modified in pronunciation to fit the set of sounds the borrowing language typically uses.

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Meanings

nounHobson-Jobsonism (plural Hobson-Jobsonisms)

plural Hobson-Jobsonisms

  1. countablehuman sciencesA word or phrase borrowed by one language from another and modified in pronunciation to fit the set of sounds the borrowing language typically uses.

    One final set of terms of interest are Hobson-Jobsonisms, that is, loanwords that have undergone phonetic assimilation through what is described as ‘striving after meaning’, a term introduced by Yule.

    2018, James Lambert, “Setting the Record Straight: An In-depth Examination of Hobson-Jobson”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 31, number 4, →DOI, page 501

Origin

From Hobson-Jobson + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Hobson-Jobsonism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hobson-Jobsonism

MLA

“Hobson-Jobsonism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hobson-Jobsonism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hobson-Jobsonism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hobson-Jobsonism.

Source: Hobson-Jobsonism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.