hyperforeignism.
The use of a sound or form that is perceived as foreign in a context where a native sound or form would be more correct based on the original language of a given loanword.
Meaning & usage
The use of a sound or form that is perceived as foreign in a context where a native sound or form would be more correct based on the original language of a given loanword.
When he wrote that he was going to “Hämbürg”, it was considered a hyperforeignism because the German form is “Hamburg”.
Although most hyperforeignisms are accidental, there are some intentional ones, such as Target being humorously called "Tarjay."
The misapplication of foreign pronunciation or usage more broadly; approximation that is misapprehensive or pedantic; use of a foreign form that is not in common use.
When she talked about the beautiful “freschi”, this was considered a hyperforeignism because in English the plural form “frescoes” is used.
Where this word comes from
From hyperforeign + -ism. First use appears c. 1982.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.