by I-Ting Wang (July 2021)
Loanwords from English are often seen in Taiwan. Factors are believed to be very diverse; economic growth, academic exchanges, the development of science and technology, multiculturalism, and cuisine are catalysts. Since the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan and the United States have had trade contacts. In the 1980s, Taiwan's economy gradually grew, and its import and export trade has rapidly impacted Taiwan's close ties with other English-speaking countries, especially the United States. As a result, English has not only become a second foreign language that Taiwan’s education attaches great importance to learning, but it is also frequently incorporated into Mandarin.
Typically, English conversion into Mandarin utilizes its original pronunciation, for instance, bus (巴士), sofa (沙發), aspirin (阿斯匹林), golf (高爾夫), and amen (阿門). Without a doubt, English words have influenced Taiwanese Mandarin widely, including transportation, daily necessities, medicine, sports, and even religion. In addition, American cuisine is one of the most common scenarios where English words have entered Mandarin. Coca Cola (可口 可樂), chocolate (巧克力), cheese (起司), hamburger (漢堡), yogurt ( 優格), and salad (沙拉) are examples.
Although maintaining the original pronunciation is the most popular method that people are inclined to utilize while transforming, some loanwords clearly contradict this rule. Hot dog (熱狗) was converted by its literal meaning, 熱 describes that something is of high temperature, and 狗 as dog, as well as fast (速) food (食). Trade contact, cultural diaspora, academic exchange, and the popularity of American food are important factors whereupon the English language impacts Taiwanese Mandarin. In the future, multiculturalism will continue to influence our lives, and more and more loanwords might emerge in Taiwanese Mandarin.