English Dictionary

law of Hobson-Jobson

noun

The "rule" that words or phrases borrowed between languages will be modified in their pronunciation as necessary to conform to the set of sounds used by the borrowing language.

The law of Hobson-Jobson states that words from one language are assimilated into another language with a phonetic transformation.

意味（1）

The "rule" that words or phrases borrowed between languages will be modified in their pronunciation as necessary to conform to the set of sounds used by the borrowing language.

In many places in the Dictionary, I find I have used the expression ‘the law of Hobson-Jobson.’ The name is an adaptation from the expression used by Col. Yule and Mr. Burnell as a name for their interesting Dictionary of Anglo-Indian words. The law is well recognised, though it has lacked a name, such as I now venture to give it.