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Investigating the Diverse Dynamics of English Language Borrowing in French Rap Music

Abstract

This paper evaluates English borrowing in French rap music in the contexts of mainland France and French-speaking Canada. English borrowing exists against a backdrop of systemic linguistic purism, such as a 1994 French law requiring that at least 40 percent of songs played on air be in French, “[stemming] the encroachment of English into French culture” [5]. Literature in sociolinguistics has evaluated non-standard language use in French rap more broadly but lacks fine-grained analysis of English borrowing. The author categorizes and contextualizes computationally extracted English borrowings through a novel lexical subcategorization framework that anchors these borrowing practices in discrete sociocultural contexts. The study finds that French rappers strategically integrate English elements into their songs as a means of resistance and identity assertion. In France, where linguistic hegemony prevails, English borrowings are syntactically limited but semantically diverse. Constructions range from noun phrases to reinterpretations of idioms, with occasional code-switching. On the other hand, in a case study of Canadian French rap, Franglais emerges as fluid code switching that reflects the region’s mature linguistic heterogeny. The author argues that by challenging linguistic purism with non-standard language practices, rappers are asserting translinguistic identities and amplifying marginalized communities. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of empowering non-standard language use in music, as it fosters cultural representation and linguistic evolution.