Blackwell Reference Online

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[Gk ξέvoζ ‘guest, stranger’ + γράφ∍ιv ‘to write’] The practice of adopting the original spelling of a L oan word while pronouncing it in one's own language. Examples are found in various writing systems. Many Sumerian words were given an Akkadian pronunciation when the Akkadians adopted the Sumerian script for writing their own language. As S umerograms these words were subsequently incorporated into other literary languages of the ancient Near East. Middle Persian texts in the P ahlavi script contain (imperial) Aramaic words in Aramaic spelling which were pronounced in Middle Persian. Xenograms are also known from the sphere of Chinese writing. In Japan a great many Chinese characters were given a Japanese pronunciation in addition to the Chinese one. In English certain abbreviations of Latin origin are habitually or occasionally treated as xenograms, e.g. the pronunciation ‘pound’ for lb instead of ‘libra’; ‘and so on’ instead of ‘et cetera’ for etc. Other terms that have been used for this phenomenon are ‘allogram’ and ‘heterogram’. ... log in or subscribe to read full text