English loan translations in the Polish names ofprofessions

Abstract

The aim of the present chapter, set in the English-Polish context, is to discuss a specific type of the influence of English upon Polish, namely loan translations. The analysis is based on a small corpus, composed of the official list of professions in Polish, compiled by the Polish Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Loan translations, in contrast to lexical loans, are difficult to identify and analyze. The problems associated with the identification and analysis of loan translations include, among others, terminological confusion, unclear borders between (a) loan translations and loan renditions, (b) loan translations and semantic loans, as well as (c) loan translations and native phraseological innovations. They are discussed in the chapter at some length. Certain criteria, which might be helpful in making the differentiation easier, are also presented.