phono-semantic matching

noun

The borrowing of a word into one language from another which completely or partially preserves both the original sound and meaning but does so via substitution of etymons.

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Meanings

nounphono-semantic matching (usually uncountable, plural phono-semantic matchings)

plural phono-semantic matchings · alternative initialism PSM

  1. uncountableusuallyhuman sciencesThe borrowing of a word into one language from another which completely or partially preserves both the original sound and meaning but does so via substitution of etymons.

Origin

Coined by Ghil'ad Zuckermann in 1999.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 音義兼譯 /音义兼译, 音義結合 /音义结合
  • 音義兼譯 /音义兼译borrowing
  • 音義結合 /音义结合 (yīnyìjiéhé)borrowing
Finnish vierassanaa äänteellisesti ja merkityksellisesti jäljittelevä uudismuodoste
  • vierassanaa äänteellisesti ja merkityksellisesti jäljittelevä uudismuodosteborrowing
German phono-semantische Angleichung
  • phono-semantische Angleichungborrowing
Hebrew תשמו״ץ
  • תשמו״ץborrowing
Polish kalka fonosemantyczna
  • kalka fonosemantycznaborrowing
Cite this entry
APA

phono-semantic matching. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phono-semantic%20matching

MLA

“phono-semantic matching.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phono-semantic%20matching. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phono-semantic matching,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phono-semantic%20matching.

Source: phono-semantic matching on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.