Jocelyn and Khalid Present at Meeting of the Minds Conference

Jocelyn McKnight, presents a poster at Lethbridge’s Meeting of the Minds Conference. Her project, titled “Cross-Language Transformations: The Journey of Loanwords Between French & English,” explores the phonetics and phonological adaptations that occur, and do not occur, when words are borrowed between these two languages.

Abstract: "Cross-Language Transformations: The Journey of Loanwords Between French & English"

This paper examines the phonetic and phonological adaptations that occur when French and English words are borrowed from each other, with a focus on the bidirectional nature of these changes. It explores how loanwords will only undergo minimal adaptations, meaning that linguistic adaptations only occur when it is absolutely necessary. This investigation takes the form of a series of case-studies focusing on consonants in both their voiced and voiceless forms; key examples include postalveolar affricates, glottal fricatives, and dental fricatives, with instances drawn from both languages. The analysis reveals that phonetic resistance often outweighs phonological integration, demonstrating a conservative approach in both languages.

The methodological approach taken in this study is a qualitative methodology based on combinatory phonetics and comparative linguistics. The dataset is a curated list of relevant loanwords that entered the receiving languages at various points in history and are not geographically bound. Data for this study were collected using reputable dictionaries such as the Oxford English Dictionary and Larousse. This methodology allows for a nuanced exploration of adaptation patterns, enabling a detailed comparison of individual phonemes across multiple historical and social contexts. When English loanwords enter French, the phonemes either remain unchanged, disappear, or adapt to the closest French equivalent. English also retains phonemes in their original form and adapts them when necessary. However, instead of a sound deletion, there is occasionally a consonantal epenthesis. These findings highlight the broader linguistic tendency to prioritize phonetic familiarity over complete phonological assimilation. This study is worth being replicated with a larger dataset to validate the generalizability of its findings. Furthermore, future research could benefit from quantitative methods to better assess the frequency and uniformity of these adaptation processes across dialectal varieties.

A.K.M. Iftekhar will also present at this conference; he delivers a talk on “Fears of Artificial Intelligence: A Historical and Contemporary Analysis”, that focuses on how the ongoing adoption of AI in different workplaces in the present day has sparked anxiety and argues how individuals, in a sense, are worried about losing jobs to machines, and such apprehensions are evident in the early or past conceptualizations of AI.

Abstract: "Fears of Artificial Intelligence: A Historical and Contemporary Analysis"

Concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) have emerged since the onset of the fourth industrial revolution. This study examines how the ongoing adoption of AI in different workplaces in the present day has sparked anxiety and argues how individuals, in a sense, are worried about losing jobs to machines, and such apprehensions are evident in the early or past conceptualizations of AI. This research has studied the fear of AI from historical and contemporary perspectives and investigated peer-reviewed journals, historical texts, and information, incorporating research studies up to 2025 to provide a comprehensive analysis about AI and its implications for individuals. This analysis establishes that anxiety toward AI has been a persistent theme. The paper explores the shared fears and concerns of workers in different countries as a global issue about new technology. The study thus provides a complex understanding of how AI-induced anxiety manifests, its historical roots, and its widespread impact on the global workforce. Finally, it offers insights into the broader societal implications of AI adoption on society.