Phonological adaptation of Arabic, English, and Italian loanwords in Somali

This study examines loanword adaptation in Somali through a comparative analysis of loaned words derived from Arabic, English, and Italian. Using a descriptive-comparative design, 34 selected borrowed lexical items – 12 Arabic-derived, 12 English-derived, and 10 Italian-derived forms – were analyzed using secondary lexical evidence from established Somali linguistic scholarship. The analysis draws on perspectives emphasizing preservation and repair, perceptual and category-based adaptation, phonotactic constraints, and possible orthographic influence. The selected Arabic-derived forms display correspondences involving pharyngeal, uvular, emphatic, and interdental consonants, as well as vowel-length preservation and lexical restructuring. English-derived forms exhibit prothesis and cluster restructuring, consonant substitution, vowel adaptation, and varying degrees of phonological integration, while Italian-derived forms show segmental substitution, vowel adjustment, and word-shape restructuring. Across the selected data, adaptation reflects an interaction between preservation of donor-language material and accommodation to Somali segmental and syllabic patterns; however, the observed tendencies should not be regarded as categorical rules across all Somali speakers or varieties. The study’s contribution lies primarily in bringing three historically distinct donor-language groups into a common comparative framework and identifying shared and source-sensitive patterns of phonological accommodation. It also provides implications for Somali language teaching, lexicography, terminology development, and orthographic standardization.