Borrowing and Incorporation of Kiswahili Loanwords in Alagwa a Southern Cushitic Language

Languages which are in long time and intense contact commonly end up inter-influencing each other. The exchange of linguistic materials is not usually analogous. However, materials of more powerful and dominant language in bilingual situation tend to be borrowed by minority language(s). Alagwa and Kiswahili are in intensive contact for more than a century and like other ECLs in Tanzania, massive Kiswahili loans enter into the Alagwa lexicon. Also, Kiswahili loanwords introduced new phonemes in the Alagwa phonemic inventory. Thus, Kiswahili loans are incorporated into this language through phonological, morphological and currently direct phonological diffusion.