The Impact of English on the Bosnian Language and the Use of English Words in Bosnian

The present study investigated the impact of English as the global language on Bosnian with a particular focus on the use of English words among adult Bosnian speakers. Thus, the survey was administered to 200 participants to get an insight into their preferences for native Bosnian words, foreign English words and adapted English words. The analysis revealed that English has gained a prominent status in Bosnia and Herzegovina, not rarely being preferred over the native structures with a similar or equivalent meaning. Furthermore, filling lexical gaps does not seem to motivate borrowing, but rather a wish to transmit a message of a more modern lifestyle.