ABSTRACT
This chapter presents data on how borrowing is done differently within each immigrant subcommunity in New York City. In the first generation, borrowing is conditioned by occupational class and level of education. For the second generation, borrowing is conditioned by distinct variables, particularly ethnonational affiliation. For both groups, the effects of language skills, not yet introduced to the analysis, are presented in this chapter. Interpretations for major findings within each immigrant generation are elaborated. Of particular note is that borrowing seems to take on unique indexical value for the first and second generation. Further, it is seem that while proficiency in English facilitates borrowing, it is not required, even for using what on the whole are essentially ‘unSpanish-like’ lexicon (i.e. these data are not ‘established loanwords’ as would be ‘burrito’ in English). Finally, an interpretation of findings for years in the U.S. is elaborated. It indicates that lexical borrowing in NYC is associated with well-established community norms, to which even newcomers to the city are immediately susceptible.
