The impact of the Ukrainian language on the Transcarpathian Hungarian pedagogical terminology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58423/2786-6726/2025-2-63-77Keywords:
Transcarpathian Hungarian pedagogical terminology, influence of the Ukrainian language, lexical phenomena, loanwords, calquesAbstract
The present study examines the specific features of Hungarian pedagogical terminology in Transcarpathia within the Ukrainian language environment. In a bilingual minority context, the interaction between languages is particularly strong. Since vocational training is largely conducted in a non-native language, the Hungarian pedagogical terminology in Transcarpathia is significantly influenced by the second language, namely Ukrainian. This complicates the acquisition and correct use of Hungarian technical terms, which clearly demonstrates the importance of this research.
The study distinguishes between written and spoken forms of technical language: contact effects are less evident in writing, while direct loanwords and code-switches are common in speech. The analysis focuses primarily on the lexical phenomena in pedagogical technical language, the detailed examination of which is based on participant observation and the analysis of pedagogical articles published in the Transcarpathian press. The authors separately discuss the situations before and after the latest education law adopted in 2020. The influence of the Ukrainian language on the names of school types (e.g., grammar school, lyceum, boarding school), educational management (e.g., Pedagogical Training Institute, methodologist), classrooms (e.g., cabinet), subjects (e.g., informatics), and specific expressions occurring in spoken language (e.g., open class, certificate, NUS) is indicated. Special attention is given to calques, loan translations, and word borrowings as channels of Ukrainian influence on Hungarian pedagogical terminology in Transcarpathia. The appearance and double meaning of the word “certificate” exemplifies the linguistic imprint of recent Ukrainian educational policy changes. New terms related to Ukrainian matriculation exams, such as ZNO and NMT, which have spread as Hungarian abbreviations in the pedagogical language of Transcarpathia and have become widely used in everyday speech, are also analysed. The findings indicate that these linguistic phenomena are deeply embedded in the everyday communication and professional discourse of Hungarian teachers in Transcarpathia, reflecting the complexity and continuous development of linguistic contact.
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